Lost child returned to mother
Published: February 3, 2005
A THREE-year-old boy left behind after Perth’s Australia Day fireworks display has been returned to his mother after spending a week in emergency foster care.
The January 26 incident was “a huge misunderstanding”, The West Australian Department of Community Development (DCD) said today.
Department director Sue Ozich defended the mother’s parenting skills, saying she believed her child was in the care of a trusted friend at the annual Skyworks show attended by about 400,000 people.
Initially unaware her child was missing, the woman did not called police until the night of January 27, but was then erroneously told by the operator the lost boy had been claimed by his parents.
DCD tracked the mother down the following morning, but would not allow the toddler to return home until a full assessment of the family had taken place.
The boy was reunited yesterday with his mother, who was described by Ms Ozich as co-operative and responsible.
Ms Ozich said the woman’s friend and the boy had joined an extended family group for the fireworks, but the group separated in the huge crowd when festivities ended.
“Each side of family thought the child was with the other, so nobody really realised the child had been left until the media broadcast photos the next day,” Ms Ozich said.
DCD was concerned the mother had later tried to make contact with authorities through telephoning 000 but was misled.
“I’ve already spoken with the police about that and we’re going to do some follow-up as to how that occurred,” Ms Ozich said.
Ms Ozich said the mother was angry and upset her child had been lost by a trusted friend “and also very upset about the perceptions out there in the community about her ability to parent her child”.
“This child is extremely well cared for, he lives in a very safe environment, his mother has extremely good parenting skills and the department will continue to work with (her) to make sure that nothing like this happens again,” Ms Ozich said.
“I think this is a wake-up call for all parents; that you have to be extra vigilant when you’ve got little children as young as that.”
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