Two children escaped from a kindergarten in Melbourne’s inner north on Monday, prompting an investigation into the safety of the early learning facility’s playground.
The escapee pair walked to one of the children’s homes after removing fencing from a playground garden at Isabel Henderson Kindergarten in Fitzroy North.
The kindergarten kids were returned to the centre safely, said a woman with knowledge of the incident but who wouldn’t be identified to protect the families’ privacy. She said they crawled into the house through a dog door and sat down to watch KPop Demon Hunters, an animated musical fantasy film, on television.
Kindergarten director Anna Tibb said the centre had launched an internal investigation into the matter and was working with the management committee and relevant authorities.
“This is really devastating for the families involved and for us,” Tibb said. “We are a very transparent and open organisation, and we take these things very seriously.”
The centre installed temporary fencing in a section of the kindergarten playground after it was discovered that the children had escaped by removing the brush fencing, an outdoor barrier made from tightly packed brush or branches.
In a letter to parents, Tibb said she would be speaking to the children about safety on Tuesday.
“I will also be talking to the children about our agreements for raising concerns with their teachers, as we proactive[ly] encourage all children to tell an adult if they see anything at the kinder that they think worries them or needs fixing,” she said.
“This is not to suggest that it is up to the children to monitor safety at the kinder, but just to reinforce that they are also important and capable safety officers and can actively help their teachers to keep them safe whilst at kinder.”
Families were advised that some centre excursions would be cancelled this week and next “due to unforeseen circumstances”.
Tibb said she would conduct a thorough assessment of the playground and would meet with a tradesperson this week to have new fencing installed.
The Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority has been contacted for comment.
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