After school care provider fined after five-year-old ventures down busy road

A Sunshine Coast after school care service provider has been fined $8000 after she lost sight of a five-year-old for about five minutes, during which time the child wandered through the centre’s car park and along a nearby road.

Lynnette Olwyn Boulton, the owner of family-run outside school hours care (OSHC) service Kidspace Caloundra faced Caloundra Magistrates Court on Tuesday over an incident in February 2024, in which a child left the facility.

Kidspace offers a range of learning and supervision programs for children aged five to 13.

The court heard a five-year-old in Kidspace Caloundra’s care had been left unsupervised for “at least five minutes”, during which time they left the facility through the front entrance and crossed the centre’s car park.

A member of the public found the five-year-old along a nearby busy road.

The Early Childhood Regulatory Authority accused Boulton of four offences after the centre failed in its duty of care on several fronts, including maintaining supervision of children, and ensuring staff followed service protocols and procedures.

Magistrate Catherine Benson ruled that Kidspace Caloundra had policies and procedures in place that would have prevented the five-year-old from leaving the facility, but said Boulton had not ensured staff were aware of them and followed them.

Acknowledging that Boulton had taken steps since February 2024 to prevent a repeat of that day’s incident, Benson ordered her to pay an $8000 fine but did not record a conviction.

The Education Department, acting as the regulatory authority, was awarded about $1600 in costs.

The regulatory authority said it would continue working with the sector, and act upon instances where providers lapsed in their duty to ensure children’s health and safety.

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