Cleveland news story..Baby was locked in daycare center...

[TomLovesBecky]

I would have broken in and got my baby!!

When I was a teenager, like 15 or 16, I worked in the church daycare. One day I opened the door to let another kid in (being dropped off) and the door (very heavy one) slipped out of my hand and swung shut, it was an automatic locking door. I became frantic IMMEDIATELY and yelled for someone to come, I was not going to leave that window where I could see the kids. And if no one had come within 2 minutes I promise you I would have broken in the window in the corner (no kids near that) and paid for the damage myself out of babysitting money, I never ever ever ever would have let those kids sit in there without supervision for more than a few seconds! Someone came right away, thank God, and let me in with a key. I felt horrible but she said that has happened to adults before, it's a very heavy spring loaded door and they were already considering changing it to something different. She said I did the right thing by not leaving even to go get help, and those kids were way older than 7 months! I can't believe all those adults from the daycare workers to the mom to the police didn't bust down that door immediately and get that poor baby! I would have been FREAKING OUT. What the hell is wrong with people???

 

[noodleknitter]

When I was a teenager, like 15 or 16, I worked in the church daycare.

What the hell is wrong with people???

I'd ask the same thing of a daycare leaving a 15 year old in charge.

 

[ZPT1022]

I'd ask the same thing of a daycare leaving a 15 year old in charge.

you would really have an issue with a teenager working in the church nursery? I didn't get the impression that it was a daycare center but rather one of those arrangements where parents can drop the little kids off so that they can enjoy the church service. I used to work in my church's as a teenager

 

[jodifla]

My thoughts exactly.
The daycare was neglegent, no doubt about it. I don't understand how the child ever ended up in a room alone in the first place. How long had he been alone before they locked the place up and forget he was there??

But most of all, if I entrusted someone else (even a family member) to pick up my infant child, I would most certainly call to make sure that everything went as planned. I can't believe it took until after midnight for the mother to realize her son hadn't been picked up!

I work a second shift. For the first few times I called to make sure the sitter had picked up my son, but not every night.

 

[JulyGirl]

The neighborhood that daycare is located in is pretty much in the worst part of town. I'm sure there is WAY more to the story than is being released.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Perhaps the child was supposed to stay with the relative. Perhaps the mother was in a position where she couldn't call the relative, or she was young and inexperienced and trusted the relative to to remember to pick up the child as per their agreement. To me, the fault rests solely on the daycare center. Even if the relative was late picking the child up, they should have called the mother or the relative. I used to work in a preschool and we keep all contact numbers on file.

 

[noodleknitter]

you would really have an issue with a teenager working in the church nursery? I didn't get the impression that it was a daycare center but rather one of those arrangements where parents can drop the little kids off so that they can enjoy the church service. I used to work in my church's as a teenager

Well, that would be different. Since it would be short term, and there would be an adult a few minutes away. I thought she meant a real daycare.

Personally, our church wouldn't leave a young teen absolutely in charge, either.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Perhaps the child was supposed to stay with the relative. Perhaps the mother was in a position where she couldn't call the relative, or she was young and inexperienced and trusted the relative to to remember to pick up the child as per their agreement. To me, the fault rests solely on the daycare center. Even if the relative was late picking the child up, they should have called the mother or the relative. I used to work in a preschool and we keep all contact numbers on file.

Absolutely. The people who walked out and locked the kid in are 100% responsible for that kid being left alone in there.

No matter what else was going on in that child's life, they cannot point their finger at the mom or whoever was supposed to pick the kid up.

I'm sure this isn't the first mix-up with a "Who is picking up the kids?" kind of thing. One parent thinks the other is doing it or some such. The day care cannot have their people just walking out and leaving babies alone. No excuse.

Even if the mother had died and never showed up, it would still be no excuse for those folks to have left him alone.