A mother in Chelsea, Massachusetts, is speaking out after her toddler was left behind at a park while under the supervision of day care workers.
Leaders at Phoenix Academy Charter Public High School, which provides day care services for parents who are still in school, acknowledge that the young girl was left Wednesday morning at Kayem Park.
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About an hour after the child was left in the park, about 500 feet from the school, one of the toddler's teachers found her in the supervision of an adult from another day care program.
"It's unacceptable for any day care to do such acts like this," the mother said. "Unfortunately, they didn't tell me in the moment, exactly. They had hid it from the directors and me, her parent."
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She didn't learn that it happened until the next day. The school filed a critical incident report Thursday with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.
Beth Anderson, Phoenix Academy's superintendent, apologized on behalf of the school and says this has never happened in 19 years.
Anderson couldn't comment directly on the status of the day care workers mentioned, but says this was a case of human error and they are doing everything possible to make it right.
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The mother says she's afraid to leave her child in anyone else's care.
"You can't trust anybody with your kids," she said. "Your kids are your number one priority and this is it's heartbreaking for families and the child it's completely traumatic."
Anderson says the school will cooperate if there is an investigation by DCF.
