Nest Early Education Services: Perth daycare provider is fined $20,000 after shocking daycare incident

A child care provider was fined tens of thousands of dollars after three toddlers were left unsupervised in a storage room for seven terrifying minutes.

The Western Australia Administrative Court has fined Nest Early Education Services $20,000 in connection with the shocking incident that took place at one of its daycare centres in Perth’s north in September last year.

The court heard the toddlers had been left unattended for a few minutes when they managed tolock themselves in the shed ‘from the inside’ by lifting the door.

Facts agreed between the centre, which trades as Nido Early School Duncraig, and the Department of Communities show the children were trapped for seven minutes before anyone realised they were missing.

A teacher retrieved a key to let the toddlers out, after which they returned to the play area.

Shortly after, the trio returned to the unlocked barn, ‘“Again in the absence of a teacher,” the department noted.

The investigation found that the provider had failed to provide adequate supervision to the children.

The centre’s supervision plan, which states that all 70 children in its care “must be kept in sight at all times”, was not being followed at the time of the incident, Seven News reported.

In addition to the $20,000 fine, Nest Early Education Services was also ordered to pay $2,000 in legal fees.

Angelo Barbaro, acting executive director of regulation and quality at the Department of Communities, reiterated that adequate oversight “is a required standard.”

“The Department for Education and Care Regulation will continue to work with education and care providers to ensure they have adequate measures in place to support their staff in providing appropriate supervision of children,” Ms Barbaro said.

Mirrors have now been added to the blind spots in the centre and the surveillance plan has been updated to include: a new introductory program for employees.

The State Administrative Court ruled that the children had been left unattended for seven minutes, during which time they had managed to lock themselves in a shed ‘from the inside’

Another Nest Early Education Services center was previously found guilty of negligence when Nido Early School East Victoria Park was fined $22,000 in February 2023.

At the time, staff had left a two-year-old outside unsupervised for 85 minutes.

The “hot and sweaty” toddler was found crying in the back corner of the playground and staff used a wet towel to cool him down.

There was no evidence that the child needs immediate medical treatment.

On that occasion, the child care provider was ordered to pay $2,500 for the Department of Communities’ legal fees.