Help!! My CM lost my LO for half an hour, what would you do??

[Loukev08]

Hi all

I'm currently so upset at the minute. Yesterday I had a message from my cm asking me to call her when I was at work. I knew it must have been important as she never does this.

Anyway basically she had collected lo from school (he's 4 and immature for his age) and apparently lost him after crossing the busy main road outside school. She took the other kids back to school and got the teachers and older kids looking for him. He was finally found scared and crying for mummy walking alongside the main road by a lady and some senior school children. She told me he had run off and hidden behind the nearby bus shelter and she hadn't thought to look there even tho she said the older children she collects regularly run there. I was lost for words and in shock but when I finally got home my husband and I were so angry that we pay this CM to protect and keep our lo safe and she didn't. When I walked him this morning I viewed this bus shelter and because of its design you can see all the way round it as it's clear glass and if lo went behind it he would have been easily seen! I sat lo down last night and chatted to him and he was really upset and asked me not to leave him again. He also said she shouted at him and told him he was very naughty, I have since discovered from the teachers and headmaster today that when CM collects the children she never holds their hands or gets them to hold each other's hands and they are always running about everywhere, to me this is NOT acceptable for 4yr olds when you on main roads.

When I spoke to her about it she got very upset and when I asked why she stated "people will talk about me behind my back and the teachers will bad mouth me to parents" hmmm excuse me but no mention of losing a little boy just her own selfishness.

I have totally terminated my contract with her with immediate effect and she now wants 4wks pay as per the contract but I am not paying her as I feel she was in breach of her contract by not protecting my baby.

I just wondered what other ppl thought please and Tia xxx

glenthebattleostrich lucky you that you have never lost a child. And yes, I think it is sometimes down to luck, rather than judgement. My son is not a runner normally, but one day, at the park, he crawled through a tunnel and ran. By the time I had got the buggy and dd and got to the other end of the tunnel, he had gone. It was the longest time in my life trying to find him and it was probably only about five minutes. He had gone back to the trampolines because they were his favourite. He would have been about three at the time. I could have done nothing differently that day. He had been happy playing in the area I was sat in, but changed his mind in a split second and was gone.

I think there are concerns about how the cm handled the situation, police should have been called and I am surprised none of the teachers who helped to search didn't suggest this or phone themselves to be honest. So while the staff are bad mouthing the cm, I think they need to be asking themselves why they didn't call the authorities themselves. Your son did deserve to be told off though. At 4, He is old enough to know he shouldn't be running off.

It is something that needs reporting though. So do phone ofsted, try to stick to the facts, don't get drawn into slagging her off, they will see the error of her ways and deal with it appropriately. I would hope she has reported the incident to them herself though.

I am not sure how you stand with not paying your notice though and I understand totally why you wouldn't want to leave your son there again.

Absolutely no way to paying notice - that's ridiculous and her behaviour is pretty much gross misconduct with evidence from the school to support. So sorry to hear about this tho - just horrible for you xx

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I am a childminder and this is a daily fear of mine. I never mind more than four children at one time, even though I am registered for six, as I find it stressful enough as it is.

It can happen so quickly (it has never happened with me and I pray it never does). At the moment the LOs are napping (at ease) but we have a school run later and I hate it. On a dry day I can park close to the gate and just be a few steps away from the car but on a wet day I have to go to the school doors with a double pushchair and the other two have to hold on to it. It is a fuss getting the pushair out etc but it means the children are safer.

If this CM is usually reliable I do feel for her but if she is rubbish then she deserves to have her registration revoked. I would check she has reported the incident to Ofsted (or CSSIW etc).

As a parent I can understand your feelings too, that is why I feel this job can be so stressful.

Definitely shouldn't pay her for that half hour! (Sorry, couldn't resist)

Jinx