An eight-year-old boy was left alone for up to three hours in a school when the coordinators of the school holiday program in charge of his care accidentally abandoned him while carrying a group of hiking students.
The boy was on a Team Kids-led program at Dingley Village Primary when he stayed on campus for one to three hours on Wednesday last week.
A staff member of Team Kids noticed that no people had been counted and a child had been left behind. The staff member returned to the school, where they found him lying on the grass. The boy was not distressed and did not leave the premises.
Four Team Kids staff members who ran the program that day were fired and it is understood that the Victoria Department of Education initiated an investigation. Coordinators include a qualified teacher and three faculty students.
Team Kids CEO James Taylor said children’s safety is taken very seriously. His organization was investigating the matter and disciplinary action is expected to be taken once the investigation is resolved.
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Taylor said he had immediately alerted the Australian Education and Child Care Quality Authority and the Department of Education has begun its own investigation.
“Policies and procedures were not followed, such as a people count,” Taylor said.
“The safety of the children is paramount to us, so we took action to make sure immediately that the child was safe. We have been in close contact with the family during this time.”