An investigation is underway after a grandfather mistakenly took the wrong child from First Steps Learning Academy in Bangor, Sydney, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The man, intending to collect his grandchild, took home another child who was asleep in a dark room. The error was discovered when the child’s mother arrived to find her one-year-old missing.
The mother said she blames the daycare, not the grandfather, who returned the child immediately after realizing the mistake. His wife said he was “devastated” and has “owned the mistake.”
The center apologized and said the staff member involved has been stood down, adding that procedures have been tightened.
New South Wales regulators are investigating the incident, which comes amid broader reforms to improve childcare safety in Australia.
