The moment a mum was told her Down syndrome son was missing

The phone call no parent wants to get. How does this happen!?

Mum shares the moment she was told her son wandered off from after school care without anyone even noticing.

Perth mother-of-two, Alex Ferguson, told Kidspot, ‘So much bad stuff could have happened to him. He could have been hit by a car. He could have walked into a absolutely anyone’s house. I’m too scared to ever use after care services again.’

Jacson was missing for more than 50 minutes on October 27, 2015 after he wandered off unnoticed from his after-school care run by Camp Australia.

The carers at the centre had tried to call his mother when they first noticed he was missing but she did not answer so they left a message.

An elderly lady noticed Jacson playing in her yard.

‘He could have ended up anywhere. It’s terrifying to think about. These are our children. They’re the most important thing in the world.’

The company involved was fined $30,000 for failing in their duty of care.

However they insist that two carers is adequate for the amount of children at the centre and have not increased staffing levels. This decision concerned Alex who has not put her children back in their care.

The young mother has spoken out about the incident now as the company was recently rejected from offering their services in NSW.

Share your comments below.

Image via Daily Mail

12 Comments

- - meedee, QLD said
  - 15 Feb 2022
    11:33 am
My husband and I decided before having children that I would be a stay at home Mum. Im glad that I was able to be there for my children. We didnt have as much money as other families but we managed.

- - Ellen, QLD said
  - 19 Jan 2017
    3:17 am
Yes I can understand too why she didn’t put her kids back in this after school care. Two carers is far too little !

- - mom71495, QLD said
  - 26 Dec 2016
    2:19 am
The best care is a mother or fathers care in their own home. Strangers will never care for your children as much as you desire or expect. Do yourself a favour and take care of them yourself, you’ll be so glad you did, and your children will praise you for it.

- - rovermum, QLD said
  - 12 Dec 2016
    12:51 pm
How traumatising for everyone involved. You entrust your children to various authorities eg. school, kinder, childcare and expect your child to be safe and cared for.

- - mom101628, QLD said
  - 11 Dec 2016
    10:23 pm
Can understand why the mother hasn’t put him back into that childcare centre – how traumatising the whole thing would have been.

- - mom90758, QLD said
  - 11 Dec 2016
    9:01 pm
Just two carers in the centre is so little indeed. Luckily the child ended up in the yard of that woman who raised the alarm and not somebody else’s!

- - BellaB, QLD said
  - 11 Dec 2016
    9:38 am
Thi would be very scary – and it happens too often.

- - tessie, QLD said
  - 10 Dec 2016
    12:59 pm
She must have been beside herself when she found out. Why did it take them so long to notice he was missing. I’m just so glad that he was found safe and sound. I’d never use them again either if I was his Mum.

- - mom112217, QLD said
  - 10 Dec 2016
    10:18 am
The mother would have been out of mind with worry after receiving the phone call,glad it all ended well.

- - mom215726, QLD said
  - 10 Dec 2016
    8:05 am
Thank goodness nsw law and policies have rejected this business from operation. No wonder they were not fined again for not putting on more staff after some form of audit that should be done. Any child be it lower needs or higher needs deserves to be watched over correctly.

- - Ellen, QLD said
  - 10 Dec 2016
    4:01 am
Glad bothing bad happened to Jacson !
My 3yr old daughter has Down syndrome and has discovered now how to open the frontdoor and windscreen door ! She is a determined cookie and loves to wander off as well ! So so scary !!
I lock now all the doors.

- - nealsq, QLD said
  - 09 Dec 2016
    3:02 pm
Holey moley! I wouldn’t go back to them either especially since they haven’t added extra staff!