“Unforgivable to Leave a Child Alone at Daycare” A Mother's Plea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwan-woo] A daycare center in Gwangju Metropolitan City is under investigation by the local district and related agencies after allegations of neglect surfaced, including leaving a 36-month-old female child alone.

A complainant, who identified themselves as a parent of a child attending the daycare center in an apartment complex in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, posted a message titled "Daycare Neglect" on the Gwangsan-gu website's free bulletin board on the 21st of last month.

In the post, the complainant stated, "Since my child started attending the daycare, she wakes up suddenly at night, kneels down, and repeatedly cries while pleading with her hands," adding, "I wanted to check the daycare's closed-circuit television (CCTV) or ask the daycare teachers, but I refrained, fearing they might harm my child in some other way, though it felt somewhat unsettling."

The complainant also mentioned that the child's maternal grandmother, who came to pick up her granddaughter, witnessed the child alone inside the daycare facility.

He said, "When the grandmother visited the daycare and asked to call her granddaughter, the daycare teacher said she was 'doing well in the room' and initially did not show her. After persistent requests, the teacher brought the child out near the living room slide," adding, "When the grandmother saw her granddaughter alone in a place other than the room and got upset, the daycare teacher said, 'Another child was with her,' and the daycare director came out and instead scolded us, saying things like 'Why do you have that expression? Why do you speak like that?'"

The complainant stated that the child has since left the daycare and is now being cared for at home, and that they personally reviewed the daycare's CCTV footage.

He said, "There was no footage of abuse such as hitting the child, but I cried throughout watching the video," adding, "The child was playing alone with toys, but no one even glanced at her, and she played alone while looking around for more than five minutes."

He also lamented, "The morning footage from the 4th of last month, when the child first attended, was even more appalling," saying, "The child was dancing and playing with toys, but the daycare teacher was sitting on one side, only looking at their phone."

The complainant said, "The daycare teacher explained that they asked what they wanted to check, said our child 'prefers to be alone,' and tried to engage her in play several times but gave up when it didn't work," adding, "They also said that if their actions are considered neglect, a dedicated teacher should be assigned."

He emphasized, "We cannot forgive the daycare teachers who neglected our child like this and instead raised their voices."

The daycare center is reportedly denying the allegations of neglect and other accusations.

Gwangsan-gu, which received the complaint, confirmed that after reviewing the daycare's CCTV on the 28th of last month, it planned a joint investigation with the Child Protection Agency.

Gwangsan District Office, Gwangju Metropolitan City

On that day, the district conducted an on-site investigation of the daycare center together with the Child Protection Agency and the police.

A district official said, "We will focus on clarifying the facts through a multifaceted investigation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.