Overview
- Brisbane Magistrates Court fined FEL Child Care Centres 3 Pty Ltd $12,500 and ordered $2,105 in costs, totaling $14,605, after finding breaches of supervision, premises security, policy compliance and record-keeping.
- A five-year-old exited Busy Bees Coorparoo through an emergency door, crossed two nearby roads and was located by members of the public after an absence of 8 to 18 minutes.
- The child’s absence was only detected when his mother arrived to collect him, according to the Queensland Department of Education.
- Magistrate Belinda Merrin described the failures as serious, noted the child had previously attempted to leave the centre and said the provider placed him at significant risk.
- Busy Bees apologised and said it introduced safeguards including an independent compliance review, added external CCTV, enhanced supervision training and stronger staff inductions.