Kaihui Luo and Xin Guan with their daughter Chelsea and inset, one of Chelsea’s injuries. 81968 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By XAVIER SMERDON
ily has been left searching for answers after they claim their daughter was injured while attending a childcare centre.
Kaihui Luo and his wife Xin Guan told Star they believed their three-year-old daughter Chelsea was injured at the Back to Basics Early Learning Centre in Hoppers Crossing on 27 April.
Chelsea received a large cut to her thumb, which pulled the fingernail away from the finger.
Less than one month later on Wednesday 23 May they claim Chelsea sustained a similar injury on the same hand.
The second cut also disfigured the fingernail, almost detaching it from the finger.
“When the first accident happened I wasn’t happy and I wanted to remove her from the centre, but we were told we needed to give two weeks notice,” Mr Luo said.
“They didn’t give me any accident report and they just said they didn’t know what happened because she didn’t cry.”
The outraged parents said they confronted staff at the centre after the second incident and were told they could not be given an accident report before being asked to leave the premises.
Ms Guan made a recording of the incident, which Star has listened to.
A spokeswoman from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development confirmed that they were investigating the incident.
“The health, safety and wellbeing of children in early childhood services is always a top priority, with all incidents taken seriously,” the spokesperson said.
“The Department is currently conducting an investigation into this matter.”
Ms Guan said she simply wanted acknowledgement from management at the centre.
“If at the beginning they gave me a report so that I could pick her up earlier and take her to the doctor I would be happier,” Ms Guan said.
“I don’t want money or anything else from them. I just want the truth and I want to know what happened to Chelsea.”
Back to Basics Early Learning Centre management declined an offer to comment.
