Conder Early Learning Centre is under two separate investigations – one by ACT Policing and one by the ACT Education Directorate – over how three preschoolers were left unsupervised to consume sleeping tablets last Thursday.
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A family member of one of the three children taken to hospital said the child's parent had been alerted to the issue by a whistleblower staff member and had not been contacted by the centre's management despite the seriousness of the event.
When the parent arrived at the centre, they were also concerned that staff had not called an ambulance after discovering three children had consumed the sedative medication.
The parent found their own child in a "highly affected state". A second child was in a similar state. The parent had to twice request an ambulance be called and two children were admitted to the high-dependency paediatric ward at Canberra Hospital. Both were required to stay in hospital until Friday evening.
A third child was later admitted for observation but was discharged that same day.
It is believed the sedatives were brought into the childcare centre by a child who is prescribed the medication in small doses to manage behavioural issues.
Neither Conder Early Childhood Centre nor its national operator G8 would comment on the issue.
A spokeswoman for the Education Directorate said that the ACT childcare regulator was investigating and encouraged any parents with concerns about the centre to "come forward".
"The regulator's responsibility is to ensure each service complies with all aspects of the education and care services national law and acts on any breaches of the law. The regulator has the power to impose a wide range of sanctions on any provider found to be in breach of the national law," the spokeswoman said.
"Service providers are responsible for the safety and welfare of the children in their care."
Meanwhile, opposition education spokesman Steve Doszpot has called for an urgent briefing on the matter.
"I'm aware of parents' concerns and I've asked for an urgent briefing from the minister's office so we can understand what the real issues are here. The safety of children is paramount and we need to understand what's happened."
The family member who spoke to The Canberra Times on Tuesday said the parents had been devastated by the incident and "could not understand how it could have happened".
"It is terrifying to think what may have happened had they not been taken to the hospital when they were, it was bad enough when they did, let alone any extra time that may have been wasted if they hadn't been notified by the whistleblower." The family has since withdrawn their child permanently from the centre.
While the child's condition had improved, the family felt traumatised by events and were considering seeking counselling for them and their child – who felt confused by the event.
The family was angry that the centre's management did not notify them the minute it was discovered their child had consumed medication.The centre did send out an email on Monday reminding all families about the centre's medication policy.
"A recent event in the service within the preschool room has highlighted the need to remind all families and visitors about our policy to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children in the service," the email said.
Parents were asked when dropping off their children to "check your child's bag for any items; including medication that may be left remaining from weekends or times where the bag has been in use outside of the centre; remove these items and take home with you at the time; make educators aware of any prescribed medication for administration whilst in care, complete the required medication form and leave medication with the educator at time of departure".
Social media comments about the incident suggested that the child who took the medication to school might have been with a respite carer on that day, and the centre's email noted that signs had been erected to alert grandparents, carers or visitors to the policy.
