A woman has been fined but escaped a criminal conviction for leaving a young child on a minibus outside a Townsville childcare centre last year.
Chiquetta Terese Paronella, 42, pleaded guilty in the Townsville District Court on Monday to one count of endangering a child by exposure.
A police investigation found she had forgotten the four-year-old girl, who was left on the bus for just over an hour on July 15, 2021.
The Heatley woman had been acting in a management position at Milestones Early Learning Centre in West End at the time of the incident.
The court heard the girl was found by a parent touring the centre.
She was taken to Townsville University Hospital as a precaution but did not suffer any significant physical injuries.
Child now worries about being 'forgotten'
The court heard a statement from the child's mother, who said her daughter was now reluctant about being strapped into car seats and travelling on public buses.
"She's noticed that when they catch public buses to go places, the complainant [the child] will make clicking noise," prosecutor Tom Hancock said.
"When asked why this was the case, the complainant explained that this was to ensure that her mother wouldn't forget where she was when leaving the bus.
Paronella broke down in tears upon hearing the remarks in court.
Investigation finds shortcomings by employer
Defence barrister Rowan Pack told the court an investigation by the Department of Education found the childcare centre had failed to train staff and enforce protocols relating to the transportation of children to and from the centre.
"[Paronella] puts her hand up for the offending conduct that she's been charged with, but it cannot be said that she is 100 per cent responsible for the incident," Mr Pack said.
In sentencing, District Court Judge John Coker acknowledged the seriousness of the charge, which attracts a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
But he also acknowledged the defendant's early guilty plea and her sincere demonstration of remorse, regret for her actions and concern for the victim.
"If she [the child] had remained on the bus, and had not been seen by the parent, it could have been hours more on the bus and the circumstances could have been tragic," Judge Coker said.
Judge Coker imposed a $1,000 fine but did not record a conviction, which he acknowledged was "unusual" in the District Court jurisdiction.
"Up until July 15, you were one of those people who contributes appropriately and responsibly in every way to our community," he said.
In a statement, Milestones Early Learning Centre said "the safety, development, and happiness of the children in our care is at the core of everything we do at Affinity Education Group."
"Following the incident, a thorough internal and external independent investigation was undertaken," it said.
