Safety Concerns After Prep Student Sent Home With Another Parent

QLD Mum “distressed” after her child was released into the care of another parent without her consent.

She has since pulled her daughter from the school due to safety concerns.

“I can’t fathom that they let a four-year-old go home with someone else,” Mrs Cattley said.

A spokesperson said the parent was known to Mrs Cattley and her daughter, however Mrs Cattley said she only met the parent at the beginning of the school year as she also had a child in the same class.

“The teacher asked my four-year-old daughter if her parents were there. A mother called my daughter over to her.”

But the parent told Mrs Cattley she walked back over to the teacher and told her she was not the child’s mother.

“She called me on the phone saying my daughter was just released.

“I was walking in the gate as the bell rang.”

Mrs Cattley said she was concerned anyone could walk off with her child at the school, reports Courier Mail.

“The school has taken no responsibility. The safety of the kids doesn’t seem to be a concern.”

The Department of Education spokesperson said the school feels it acted appropriately.

“The department is aware of concerns raised by a parent of a former Deebing Heights State School student in relation to an incident that occurred at student collection time after 3pm on Thursday, February 7, 2019,” the spokesperson said.

“At 3:05pm student A was collected from class by the parent of another student in the class, this parent is known to student A and their guardian.

“Student A remained close by the classroom on school grounds with this parent and classmate until they were collected a short time later by their guardian.

“Under the school’s sign-out procedures any students leaving the school between 8:55am and 3pm are signed out at the office and checks are made that an appropriate person collects them.

“At 3pm, prep students are required to sit in their classroom and wait for collection from their guardians, if teachers are unsure of pick up arrangements, checks are made.

Parents were shocked to read Mrs Cattley’s Facebook post on the issue.

“For all parents in Deebing Heights State school catchment area. Please consider this before sending your child there. My daughter who is still four and was attending prep at Deebing Heights was released into the care of another student’s mother at the end of the day with out my knowledge or consent,” she posted.

“Being in prep you would assume, as I did that a safety procedure is in place to make sure young prep students only go home with their allocated parents or guardian unless notice is given to the teacher in advance about who will be collecting your child.

“I was obviously distressed and extremely upset by the fact this had happened, and decided to try and talk with the principal to resolve the situation.

“However I have been very unsuccessful to sort it. Which has resulted in my child having to leave the school, as I feel her safety can not be promised to me and is not a priority to the facility at this school.”

Mrs Cattley said the school’s principal told her there was no policy in place, nothing wrong was done and there was nothing to apologise for.

“They said it was my child’s fault as she said her mum was there. That is was the other mum’s fault for calling my child’s name and making out like it was her child.”

Mrs Cattley said the school’s principal could not promise that it wouldn’t happen again and she was blamed for arriving at the school slightly after 3pm.

She said the teacher told her she couldn’t be expected to know all 20 of her students parents.

“I have purple hair, half my head shaved and a sleeve of tattoos. I do stand out quite significantly.”

How would you feel if this happened to your child?

Share your comments below

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.

30 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 10 Feb 2023
    11:47 am
At the start of the year of course the teacher is not going to know each and every parent and your job as a parent is to make sure you are there at the classroom waiting before the bell goes. Walking in the gate as the bell goes is not good enough especially when its the start of the year. Teachers are not baby sitters and as a parent you need to be there to collect your child on time. I feel that this is more a fault of the parent then the teacher.

- - Blaire92 said
  - 28 Aug 2019
    11:00 pm
My daycare rang me yesterday to confirm my best friend could pick up my child. She is well known to the centre as she has collected him many times but as she wasn’t a parent they ring to confirm

- - ella12 said
  - 28 May 2019
    4:40 pm
Oh my gosh that is indeed frightening.

- - jacqbeckett said
  - 03 Apr 2019
    6:39 pm
I couldn’t blame it on the child because when I was little I knew I was going home with my mum. We had taxi services back in my day for deaf children. Taxis would pick up and drop off kids. I went in the taxi with no choice to go home. The school was informed that I go on the taxi. It’s really the school should ring the parents if they aren’t too sure with something. I always make sure the parents rings the school to let them know I’m taking their child home.

- - mom81879 said
  - 17 Mar 2019
    9:23 am
It’s a little scarey. But if I’m reading the article correctly, the child stayed close by the classroom with the other parent until her parent collected her. At least she wasn’t removed from school grounds.

- - mom74005 said
  - 10 Mar 2019
    8:34 pm
Oh gosh, the children should have said something. We were always taught to never go home with a stranger or family member unless mum told us in advance.

- - MrsA said
  - 08 Mar 2019
    9:32 pm
My children aren’t in school so I can’t comment on this. It wasn’t so full on when I was in school.

- - mom67623 said
  - 22 Feb 2019
    3:59 pm
i TAUGHT MY KIDS NOT TO GO HOME WITH ANYONE BUT ME, ONE MAN WHO KNEW MY HUSBAND WHO WAS LATE OFFERED TO TAKE MY SON BUT HE SAID’ NO STRANGER DANGER!’
bUT SCHOOLS ARE SUPPOSED TO SEE THEIR STUDENT GET SAFELY HOME WITH RIGHT PARENT. i WOULD BE HORRIFIED. tHERE IS PRE SCHOOL OPPOSOTE WERE I LIVE AND PARENTS COLLECT THERE OWN CHLDREN. STRICTER MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN AS PARENTS WANT THERE CHILDREN TO BE SAFE

- - tessie said
  - 20 Feb 2019
    2:22 pm
Sounds like this school doesn’t care at all about its students. I live in a country area but we still had to put down the names of people who were allowed to collect our children. They would ring me and ask if it was alright for my child to go home with the person named. I wouldn’t want to send my child there, I’d always be in fear of their safety

- - rovermum said
  - 20 Feb 2019
    9:08 am
Wow, the schools seems to be intent on blaming everyone else. How do you blame a 4 year old? Then they blamed the other parent! No blame on the school themselves. Interesting and unsettling.

- - MummaToFive said
  - 19 Feb 2019
    10:14 am
There is always 3 sides to a story. Your side, their side and the truth. There has to be more to this story.

- - youngoldlady said
  - 19 Feb 2019
    1:09 am
Yes the other parent is in the wrong. I do not believe the school does not have a policy about this. The wrong person could pick up the child like there is a custody issues.

- - SPerry37 said
  - 18 Feb 2019
    10:03 pm
the child was still on school grounds and close to the classroom clearly the mother over reacted if the child was close to the class room and on school grounds surley the mother would of see her own child i dare say the mother has left some part of the story out

- - mom297125 said
  - 17 Feb 2019
    3:26 pm
Omg……thats pretty scary. Must be a different side tk the story. A mothers worse nightmare.

- - ~Loui~ said
  - 17 Feb 2019
    2:22 pm
There must be another side to this story. I find it difficult to believe that the school wouldn’t have a policy, especially with preps at the start of the year.

- - mom101628 said
  - 17 Feb 2019
    1:54 pm
It would appear that the child was happy to go with this parent because she knew them – somehow I think there is more to this than we currently know.

- - nealsq said
  - 17 Feb 2019
    10:38 am
That is disgusting and dangerous, and why was this parent so ready to take the other child

- - curlytops said
  - 16 Feb 2019
    1:31 pm
This is so wrong. you dont take some one else’s child. School does not have a policy……. what????

- - Ellen said
  - 16 Feb 2019
    8:52 am
Yes this is concerning, people with wrong intentions may misuse this.
How come the the wrong parent who was known to this child, didn’t indicate it wasn’t hers ?

- - taynik46 said
  - 16 Feb 2019
    8:18 am
Why did the other mother call the child’s name? this mother who also has a child in the same grade would know that the teachers are only allowed to release the kids to the correct parent/guardian. Why would she do that?