A Florida mother was horrified last week when she arrived at her two-year-old’s day care centre to find the lights off, the doors locked and the child locked inside – crying and peeking out of a door window.
Stephanie Martinez told NBC6 that the incident occurred last Wednesday at KinderCare Learning Centre in Plantation.
“She was able to push a chair up to the door and call for my name, and that was the only reason I was able to see her,” Ms Martinez said, adding that the toddler was “super traumatised”.
Crying herself in a phone call to emergency services when she could not immediately reach staff, Ms Martinez advised them of the situation and responding authorities were able to enter the building and reunite the baby with her mother.
In a statement, KinderCare said the company was “thankful the child was quickly found and was safe” but “this incident should not have happened”.
“We take all concerns about children’s safety seriously and follow a specific protocol anytime an issue is raised,” an official KinderCare statement read.
“Part of that protocol includes notifying our agency partners, like state licensing and Child Protective Services, as we did in this case.
“We also placed the staff members involved on administrative leave while we, and our agency partners, look into the concern further.”
Ms Martinez, who is planning to file a lawsuit against the daycare centre, told NBC6 that “nobody should ever have to go through this.
“You pay for trust and they completely voided that. I have no words, I’m still in shock right now.”
Her attorney said on Friday that the “entire event could’ve been avoided if KinderCare did not abandon their responsibilities and the toddler”, the station reported.
Mark DiCowden also complained that KinderCare failed “to provide anything but a bad excuse for what happened”.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office Child Protection Services and Plantation Police are investigating the incident, NBC6 reported.
