A Perth family is speaking out after their toddler, who lives with autism, escaped from daycare without anyone noticing.
Three-year-old Otis Whithney climbed over a wall and was found by a stranger after a few minutes outside Keiki Early Learning in Alkimos yesterday.
“I answered the phone and she, she said to me, ‘Otis has got over the boundary wall’,” mother Alison Bowers told 9News.
“Instantly I said, ‘Where is he? Do you have him?'”
For a few minutes, the centre did not have Otis.
An incident report written by a staff member revealed it was “a member of the public” who “returned Otis to the service at 10.52am”.
“He was found outside the premises,” it said.
“After review we determined he was out no longer than five minutes.”
The toddler wasn’t injured but his parents say it took almost an hour for the childcare centre to let them know.
“I just can’t get my head round it, how kids can get out of their premises and them not knowing and a member of public bringing them in,” the boy’s father Jordan Whithney said.
“Every time there’s an incident, they’ll call you straight away let you know exactly what happens, and this time they didn’t. They left it too long.”
Otis has attended this daycare centre since he was six months old but he won’t be returning, the boy’s concerned parents pulling him out after yesterdays incident.
Keiki Early Learning was contacted for comment.
The Department of Communities says all serious incidents are required to be reported.
