A parent's nightmare
Global Edmonton
Friday, January 28, 2005
Police and social services officials are investigating a disturbing incident at a south Edmonton day care.
A six month old baby was left behind Thursday after employees locked up for the night. The boy's mother was left in limbo, not knowing where her son was. It turns out he's okay, but there are plenty of questions left to be answered.
Chantel Patterson still wonders how her six-month-old son Israel was locked inside his day care by himself, forgotten by staff that left for the day. Patterson arrived to pickup Israel at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, but decided to leave him in the day care until 6:00 p.m. while she went next door for a drink.
She returned just after 6:00 p.m. to find the doors locked, panic set in and she called police.
"They finally got the doors open at 9 o'clock and he was way in the back alone, and he hadn't been fed, and he still had a full bottle there," says Patterson.
It was Israel's first day at Bear's Paw Day Care Centre. His mother says he wasn't signed in or out properly. The day care owner calls it an unfortunate employee mistake.
"And I guess because he was sleeping, she had forgotten about him I guess is what it comes down to," says Bonita Berezanski of Bear's Paw Day Care Centre.
Berezanski is devastated. She says every parent is given her cell phone number in case of emergency and wonders why it took police so long to contact her. She thinks a number of factors are to blame.
"I think there's some responsibility on her part, parents do need to pick up their children on time, but certainly we need to be doing extra safety precautions to ensure something like this never happens again," says Berezanski.
The mistake has led to mixed reactions from other day care clients.
"The staff here has been nothing but professional for the past couple of years we've had our kids here. We've had nothing but really good experiences," says Rob Hill.
But one mother plans to look elsewhere for childcare.
"I know that people make mistakes, but how do you mistake leaving a child in a daycare? It's unacceptable," says Wendy Maxwell.
"I hope to God the day care staff that were there in the afternoon are fired," says Sarah Fassman.
The owner says that will probably happen. Social services investigators spent the day going over day care records and security measures. But it's too late for Patterson, her faith in child care has been shattered.
"I don't know if I should take him to another daycare, or even if I had another chance, should I trust a daycare?" she says.
Police aren't saying whether any charges are going to be laid in the incident, but Chantel Patterson is looking into possible legal action against the day care.
