Child ran away from daycare, quickly located at home yard

One child escaped from the yard of the Malmöntalo Daycare Centre during morning playtime on 18 December.

The yard of the daycare centre is fenced off. The gate was closed, but the children can open it by themselves if the latch outside the gate is not closed.

The situation was noticed when a friend of the runaway child came to tell an adult that the child had gone home.

A staff member immediately went after the child and caught up with them near the daycare centre, in the yard of the child’s home. The child managed to get across Järvikatu alone. The child’s family was immediately informed of the incident.

– The situation was quick and lasted about 5 minutes in total. The personnel acted in the situation as they had been instructed, and there was no need to contact the police, says Eeva Kuusisto, director of the Malmöntalo Daycare Centre.

During the morning playtime, there were enough staff members, four in total, in the yard with the children. Children always wear reflective vests when outdoors.

The situation will be reviewed in accordance with the Safety and Crisis Plan

The City of Vaasa has a Safety and Crisis Plan in place for early childhood education and care, according to which the situation was handled.

– We are sorry about this, and this should not have happened, but fortunately the incident was over with nothing more than a scare. The incident will be reviewed with all parties involved, adults and children, and we will carry out the necessary aftercare measures,” says Maria Karvonen, Director of Early Childhood Education and Care.