Confusion blamed after toddler gets left on her own

It was nearly two hours before the girl was found at the Ta Fesilafai Aoga Amata centre. Photo / Greg Bowker

The mistake that resulted in a toddler being left alone at a childcare centre for nearly two hours appears to have been caused by confusion about who was caring for her.

The 2-year-old girl had been dropped off at the Ta Fesilafai Aoga Amata centre in Beach Haven by her mother on Friday morning but was left behind when her carers and classmates hopped on a bus for a trip to the park just after 9am.

It was nearly two hours before staff realised she wasn't with the group at Moire Park in West Auckland and she was eventually found, alone and crying, in the locked North Shore centre.

Centre licensee Sonny Vagana, who meet staff on Monday night to determine how the distressing incident happened, said it appeared to be caused by confusion about who was caring for the girl.

The girl's mother, who had signed her in and left her with centre staff, thought she would be going to the park on the bus with everyone else.

Confused staff believed she was going with her mother, who is involved with the centre's board and arrived at the park soon after the group on the bus.

Because staff thought she had gone with her mother she was not included in a head count of the children at the park or on the bus.

Mr Vagana said while it appeared the centre's policies had been adhered to the mistake was not good enough and for that he was disappointed and apologetic.

The staff member responsible had been suspended and her future would be discussed at a board meeting on Friday.

Mr Vagana said the woman had been with the centre since it opened 10 years ago and was "very distressed" by what had happened.

Staff were also feeling shaken and there was a "sombre" mood at the centre, which cares for 46 children, yesterday.

Police and the Ministry of Education are investigating. Mr Vagana said changes were already being made to some of the centre's policies to ensure nothing like this could ever happen again.

He has also formally apologised to the girl's mother.

While the girl is not believed to have returned to the centre yet it is understood there are plans to try and slowly reintegrate her with her classmates once she is ready.