Parents are being urged to communicate with each other more after a 6-year-old Wairakei girl was reported missing then was found at a friend's place nine hours later having a sleepover.
Concern for the child was raised by family members after she did not arrive home after school. Family searched for about five hours before contacting the police at 8.30pm.
About 25 Taupo police and search and rescue volunteers were involved in the search before the child was located after midnight asleep at a friend's house in rural Taupo.
Senior sergeant Fane Troy said this type of incident was always a stressful time for family, police and volunteers and he could not reiterate enough the need for caregivers and parents to talk to each other so this type of incidentdid not happen again.
"What happenedshows the importance of knowing where your children are. If children have friends staying over make sure that parents contact each other and discuss all arrangements."
The principal of Wairakei Primary School, Paula Farquhar, where the child attends, said the incident was a "hiccup" for the school's normally safe procedures they had in place for children leaving school. She said some of the teachers were a little shaken up yesterday morning after the incident. "We were all just blown away by this."
She was unsure of how the child was able to get on the bus without being checked by the bus representative and teachers.
"The child had just gotten the idea she was going to her friend's place for a sleepover so had stuck with her friend when the bus lines went out after school and then just hopped on the bus with her.
"Normally we're supposed to check the lines so we [the school] don't exactly really know how she got on the bus like that. But we certainly know she got on it, so from our point of view we need to make sure our systems don't allow that to happen again."
Mrs Farquhar said the parents of the child were initially a little upset at the school through anxiety but that all parties involved had met and were supportive of each other.
She said the mother of the child's friend, where the child was found sleeping, had not contacted anyone earlier because she had no credit on her mobile phone and did not have a landline. Meetings with school staff and children regarding what happened and the procedures in place was the first thing discussed in the morning after the incident.
She said the school would be using its newsletters to tell parents about the incident and how to avoid such an occurrence.
The school would also be informing parents and the community that they needed to make sure they talked to their children about not getting on buses without permission.
The parents of the missing child were not willing to talk about the incident but said through Mrs Farquhar that they were very thankful for the fast response from Taupo police and the search and rescue volunteers that looked for their child.
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