Cairns mother slams daycare after daughter left with broken ankle for six hours
A mother has slammed a nursery after her two-year-old daughter broke her ankle and was allegedly left without medical attention for six hours.
The Cairns mother dropped her two daughters off at a local daycare on September 14.
She claims that when she returned to pick up her children at 2:30 p.m., she found her two-year-old child asleep.
When she woke up, the little one was in great pain and could not stand up. Staff informed the mother that she had tripped earlier in the day, but was fine.
“(Staff) didn’t know why she had been upset all day,” the mother said. Cairns Post.
Cairns mother accuses daycare of leaving her two-year-old daughter, who allegedly broke her ankle, without proper medical care for six hours (stock image)
“She wouldn’t stop crying even though I held her. I was stressed. She didn’t let me put her down…she screamed the whole way home.
When they returned home around 3pm, the mother immediately called an ambulance, which transported her daughter to Cairns Hospital.
X-ray images showed the little girl suffered a fracture to the lower part of her left tibia, an injury doctors said was “more common among athletes,” according to the mother.
“The doctors said she would have been in extreme pain all day and it would have been ‘quite a fall’ to do that,” the mother said.
A photo taken around 8 a.m. shows the two-year-old, who has autism, playing on a trampoline.
Another photo, taken at 1 p.m., shows the child lying on the floor of the nursery crying, while her sister tries to comfort her.
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the center is at fault and it is unclear how the child broke his ankle.
The center vehemently denied the mother’s allegations, saying the incident “simply didn’t happen.”
“The photo (1 p.m.) of my child is of her crying and lying flat on the ground…and her sister trying to comfort her. Where was the care there? said the mother.
The center says it became aware of the allegations five days later, when the mother shared the incident on social media.
“At this point, we have still not received any direct communication from the child’s family,” the center said.
The Department for Education launched an investigation, with staff providing statements refuting claims the two-year-old suffered harm in their care.
“We are confident that the department’s investigative process will clear both the center and our staff of any wrongdoing or negligence,” the center said.
The daycare denies the allegations, saying the incident “simply di
The mother also lodged a complaint with the Department for Education, with the Early Years Regulatory Authority investigating the allegations and working to establish the facts.
“As the Early Years Regulatory Authority (ECRA), the department places the highest priority on the health, safety and wellbeing of all children attending these services,” a spokesperson said of the ECRA.
“ECRA is actively investigating this incident to establish the relevant facts and address any immediate risks.
“As the matter is currently under investigation, the department is unable to provide further comment at this time.”
