Baby Mistook For a Doll

By Anna
@LadyDuck (471423)
Switzerland
October 23, 2015 2:54am CST
I cannot believe what happened yesterday at a Chicago nursery. The staff, closed the doors 15 minutes before the due time, trapping inside a one year old baby girl. When her father showed up to pick up his daughter, he found the doors shut and no one there. He could hear her daughter screaming, but it was impossible to open the doors, so he alerted the police. The fire department had to force the door to get in. After a short search, a police officer spotted the toddler crawling on the floor and screaming and the bad adventure had a happy end. According to the nursery staff, they mistook the baby for a doll and shut the door before the time, without taking a moment to check if all the parents had picked up their babies. Do you think this is an acceptable excuse?
55 people like this
61 responses
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
23 Oct 15
That is totally irresponsible. Surely regulations must be in place to monitor who has been picked up and who hasn't. They should lose their child care licence.
15 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
This is what I immediately thought. If they do not monitor who picked up the children, it can also happen that anybody can come and "grab" a child. This is horrible.
10 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
23 Oct 15
They definitely should no longer be in business being as lax as they are how can you take a child for a doll, no way.
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
@Marcyaz I agree, they are not trustful and their nursery had to be shut. If I were one of the parents of the kids anyway I would never bring my kid there again.
2 people like this
@yukimori (10145)
• United States
23 Oct 15
No, absolutely not. The daycare my toddler goes to keeps excruciatingly exact records of when children are picked up by the parents. Their systems are redundant--I sign her out on paper and through the computer, and then the teachers mark the exact time I picked her up in their records. They are also extremely familiar with the children that attend there. There is absolutely no way that any of the children would ever be mistaken for a doll. Not even one who had been there for only one week.
7 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
23 Oct 15
this other nursery must be very lax in their dealings with children and I wouldn't want a child of mine there.
2 people like this
@yukimori (10145)
• United States
23 Oct 15
@LadyDuck Ours doesn't, but the door is electromagnetically locked and we have cards that have to be scanned to gain entry. The teachers won't let anyone but parents amd approved pick-up people take kids. I've seen them call the campus police because someone's grandma threw a fit over not being allowed in.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
I am sure this is the right way things should be handled. I cannot believe that they do not check if all the parents came to pick up their children. I hope that they check if the people who come to pick up the kids are legit.
4 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
23 Oct 15
How irresponsible of that staff not to check first if all the babies were already fetched by their parents . She should be penalized for the trauma that the baby had .
7 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
23 Oct 15
@LadyDuck Somebody must have wanted to go home early and never checked the nursery.
4 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
23 Oct 15
@LadyDuck That ca n still be pointed out against them for closing before the appointed time . The parent can file a formal complaint about it .
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
I cannot understand why they closed fifteen minutes earlier without even checking if all the babies had been picked up.
6 people like this
@delyaj30 (613)
• Quezon City, Philippines
23 Oct 15
i cannot accept her excuses. that is carelessness
6 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
I agree, if they are so careless, they cannot do this job.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50256)
• United States
23 Oct 15
That most certainly isn't acceptable.
7 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
23 Oct 15
@LadyDuck I agree they should be shut down and everyone should take their child out of that nursery right now.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
They have very loose rules in that nursery. I think they should shut down.
3 people like this
@gudheart (12659)
23 Oct 15
The little girl would be scarred for life now.
1 person likes this
@bookbar (1609)
• Sudbury, England
23 Oct 15
Certainly not!...if these staff are that unobservant, what are they doing caring for young children, that nursery should be closed immediately.
7 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
This is what the father asked. They are not the best people to take care of young children.
5 people like this
@GardenGerty (160675)
• United States
23 Oct 15
This is the second time lately I have read about this type of neglect. That is what it is, neglect and irresponsible behavior. Criminal.
4 people like this
@yukimori (10145)
• United States
24 Oct 15
@LadyDuck No kidding. From the photos, the little one looks like she's a few months younger than my toddler. It hits home hard. I'd probably have a hard time avoiding going to jail if someone did that to one of my kids.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
25 Oct 15
@yukimori The baby girl is more or less one year old, poor kid!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
I agree irresponsible and criminal, they only want to close and go home or have fun. Poor little baby I can imagine how scared she was.
3 people like this
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
23 Oct 15
My goodness! If I were the parent I will sue that nursery. They are so negligent. They must closely monitor each child to make sure each toddler are physically handed over to every parent at the end of the day! Otherwise, they have no right to keep doing business.
3 people like this
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
25 Oct 15
@LadyDuck He should do that and the license of that nursery must be revoked.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
The father was very angry and I think he want to sue the nursery and he wants that everybody knows what happened. He is right.
3 people like this
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
23 Oct 15
I'll leave it to the authorities to decide what to do with this situation. I'm sure they didn't do it on purpose and I'm sure they will check more carefully in the future. Glad that things ended up well!
3 people like this
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
23 Oct 15
@LadyDuck Yes, there should have been appropriate procedures. I'm sure the authorities will look into this situation and see what exactly happened and deal with them accordingly. While things worked out, still something terrible could have happened.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
I think that there is something wrong here if they did not ask the parents to sign every time they leave a child and then when they picked them up. This is how things should be done by serious people.
2 people like this
@lady1993 (27224)
• Philippines
23 Oct 15
definitely not. it is their job to make sure that everyone is out safe, especially since they are working in a nursery would it take so much effort to check the room?
4 people like this
@lady1993 (27224)
• Philippines
24 Oct 15
@LadyDuck yeah, even so... it wouldn't take 5 minutes to just check every corner. I hope the kid is that traumatized
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
I imagine they wanted to close earlier to be free to do their personal chores and they did not even took the time to check.
3 people like this
@SHOHANA (16093)
• Bangladesh
24 Oct 15
Agree with you @lady1993
2 people like this
• Preston, England
23 Oct 15
pretty bizarre and extra-ordinary. They'd looked after the child for a few hours at least and presumably on previous days too but failed to recognize her? They also didn't mark out departing children in any kind of register? The parents need a new nursery for all those children.
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
Very good reasoning, this sounds weird, how can mistake a baby for a doll. It was not the first time the baby was left there. I think this nursery must be shut down.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (218918)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Oct 15
Good point, actually. If you're working lovingly with a small child, you recognize him or her instantly. And you're constantly checking in on his or her welfare, even if you're pretending just to be "playing with" or "talking to" them.
2 people like this
• Greece
23 Oct 15
Hardly a reason to say that they mistook it for a doll, dolls don't scream or crawl around and this little girl must have been showing some signs of life if anybody had bothered to look. Not a nursery where I would want to leave a child, that's for sure.
3 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
23 Oct 15
Nor would I want to leave a child in their care as careless as they are.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
They are irresponsible people and I cannot believe that they did not notice she was a real baby.
1 person likes this
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
23 Oct 15
This is totally unacceptable. The parents should sue them and take the baby out of there right away.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
I am pretty sure that the parents will take the babies out of there. This is a dangerous place.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Oct 15
Someone needs to get fired and someone needs to find a new day care.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
So true, I hope they will never be allowed to open a new nursery for the rest of their life.
2 people like this
• United States
23 Oct 15
@LadyDuck This could have had a much worse ending.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
23 Oct 15
No it is not an acceptable excuse as 1. they should have checked properly 2. They should know the Children that they have in the Nursery and 3. Why are they shutting early and did not make sure that all Parents had picked up their Children as they should know the Parents as well
2 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
23 Oct 15
@LadyDuck I hope it does because if my Child was in there I would remove the Child straight away I would never trust them with my Child because to me if they can do that they can also pass a Child to just anyone as it seems they do not know the Children or Parents
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
I agree with you on everyone of those points. They are irresponsible people and their nursery must be shut down.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
@gabs8513 I would do the same, because they are not to be trusted.
2 people like this
@marguicha (223067)
• Chile
23 Oct 15
What a shame! Everywhere, specially when there are babies, you have to be extra careful to count heads.
2 people like this
@marguicha (223067)
• Chile
24 Oct 15
@LadyDuck The should close that day care center
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
25 Oct 15
@marguicha They are under investigation and for the moment the nursery is closed.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
So true and even to check to which people you give the babies, just to be sure that they are the real parents.
2 people like this
@allknowing (136494)
• India
23 Oct 15
They surely should have had a system to check the number of kids that come in and the number going out. This is an inefficient way to run a Nursery. They will have to bear the consequences.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
I hope that they will be sued, what they did is serious. I think that the poor baby will be traumatized for days.
3 people like this
@TheHorse (218918)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Oct 15
No, there is supposed to be a sign in and sign out sheet at such places. I suppose it's possible that the parents forgot to sign the child in, or that the staff assumed they'd forgotten to sign the child out (I've seen this happen many times).
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
24 Oct 15
Let's imagine that this was a mistake and they mistook the baby for a doll , why did they close 15 minutes before the official time? In my opinion someone was in a hurry to join a party. Anyway now they are under investigation.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (218918)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Oct 15
@LadyDuck If it was a one-time thing, I might let it go. But if there has been a pattern of negligence, it's quite a different matter. I volunteer on Fridays at a preschool that is WONDERFUL. But a kid COULD fall and bang her head. Anything is possible.
1 person likes this
• Thiruvananthapuram, India
23 Oct 15
Omg it is just carelessness. How can one mistake a doll instead of a child. Good that she was notb here, else people would have already killed her and made cutlet with her flesh lol!
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
23 Oct 15
Poor little baby, I can imagine how scared she was all alone in a dark empty room.
5 people like this
• India
23 Oct 15
That is not even an excuse... How could people use some sentences to get away from the accident ... But at the end , the baby is safe and is back and that's all one could ask for.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
25 Oct 15
Yes, the little girl is safe but traumatized and this nursery must be shut down to avoid that the same thing could happen to others.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471423)
• Switzerland
25 Oct 15
@DaddyEvil The nursery is under investigation now. They have closed the doors fifteen minutes before the working time and it seems impossible that they mistook the baby for a doll, because she is pretty active. I believe they did not even check before to go.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137259)
• United States
24 Oct 15
Not quite! The parents of the other children should ask for more responsible care workers, some kind of written assurance that it will never happen again and shown that the NEW daycare staff must check each child off some kind of list every day when the parent drop off and pick up their child! That is the least those parents should be asking for, in my opinion!
1 person likes this