Five-year-old and friend escape Canberra daycare, walk 2km unchecked
Two children escaped Majura Early Childhood Centre by scaling a fence during rest time and were missing for about 1.5 hours.
The five-year-old boy and another child turned play equipment on its side to climb a fence at the Canberra centre last Monday. The children walked about two kilometres around Dickson and crossed four streets before members of the public spotted them and called police.
The children were reunited with their parents by 2:30pm. Mother Naomi Brooks said she learned of the escape when a police officer knocked on her door.
She has struggled to get answers from Northside Community Services, the provider, and says staff were likely overworked. The centre has appointed an ex-AFP investigator and increased staffing at the facility.
- 2 kilometres
- Distance walked
- 1.5 hours
- Time missing
- 4 streets
- Streets crossed
- Northside Community Services
- Provider
Why it mattersThe incident raises serious questions about supervision levels and security at a childcare centre, and highlights risks when facilities are understaffed.
AustraliaParents in Canberra and across Australia now have a concrete example of how quickly young children can escape and the importance of checking staffing levels and safety protocols at their childcare provider.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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