Debbie Williams is angry about the treatment of son Brock, 5, at the Parafield Gardens Children's Centre. Picture: Calum Robertson. Source: News Limited
Debbie Williams' son Brock, 5. Source: Supplied
DEBBIE Williams is angry and is looking for answers.
The Parafield Gardens mother wants to know just how her five-year-old son Brock became locked inside a shed at his local kindy.
She wants to know how long he was trapped and why none of his teachers ever noticed he was missing — despite the class leaving the grounds of the kindergarten.
Last September's incident has left the lively youngster with severe psychological conditions that have forced Ms Williams, 43, to abandon her thriving business to care for him full time.
It has now placed her family under severe financial strain.
Despite the admitted negligence of staff at the Parafield Gardens Childcare Centre, the Education Department has just refused her plea for financial assistance and the family now faces losing its home within months.
Ms Williams has now hired a lawyer to formulate a claim against the department.
Unless settled it is likely to lead to District Court action.
A distraught Ms Williams on Friday said the incident has shattered their lives and their lifestyle has been "turned upside down.''
"I feel a lot of blame for putting an innocent little boy in such a situation. Some days every time I think about it I am reduced to tears,'' she said.
Ms Williams, who has four children, was alerted to the incident when she arrived to pick Brock up on September 2 last year. She vividly remembers the director of the centre approaching her and profusely apologising before telling her what had actually occurred.
"The director said: 'First I want to say this has never happened before' and then she told me Brock had been locked in the shed on the playground,'' Ms Williams said.
She was told he had been found when another parent heard muffled cries when walking past the shed. When released Brock was sobbing uncontrollably, had soiled himself and had removed all of his clothing because of the heat inside the shed. The temperature that day was 28 degrees.
Ms Williams said when Brock came over to her he was still hot and could hardly talk because his voice was so hoarse.
"He still had a deep sob going he was so distressed,'' she said.
"I just grabbed his stuff and walked out. I didn't want to open my mouth because I didn't know what would come out. I didn't want to explode in front of the other children.''
Ms Williams said she was initially told Brock may have been locked in the shed "for between 10 and 15 minutes'' but now cannot get any further answers and believes he may have been trapped for much longer, given his state when found.
"I am sorry, that is not true. You are not going to pack off 40 kids for 15 minutes play. I think it was more like 10 to 15 minutes from when they first knew he was there until they got him out after finding someone with a key,'' she said.
"I would suggest it would have been an hour or two to get that distressed.''
Ms Williams said she withdrew Brock from the kindy the next day, but did not speak to the director for several days. When this occurred she was again assured this type of incident had never occurred before and the director she was "really sorry'' and understood if she did not want Brock to return.
Ms Williams advised her he would not be returning, but that she wanted a full report on the incident detailing exactly what happened including "who, what, where, how and when'' to enable her to comprehend it.
"I was so angry about not getting any information I then sent an email to the Minister of Education and the department,'' she said.
"They have told me policies are now in place, but still will not tell me how this happened in the first place.''
Ms Williams said last October she had been forced to give up the lease on her thriving business, the Wiggly Worms indoor play cafe at Glenelg North, to care for Brock full time. Husband Justin, a cabinet-maker, now works 50 hours a week to try and meet their commitments.
While the Education Department has paid around $2000 in doctors expenses for Brock's ongoing treatment, she approached it on March 13 requesting financial support for loss of income, supplying three years tax returns as evidence. Last month she was formally advised there would be no settlement and advised to engage a lawyer.
"I am only requesting what is fair and reasonable,'' she said.
"It is not fair. Just because someone can't count how many kids there are in the class we are going to lose everything. We are going to lose our house, everything.''
Ms Williams said Brock now attends school four hours a day, four days a week "at best'' and medicated to deal with psychiatric conditions he has developed as a result of the incident.
Her lawyer, Tim Downie, of Slater and Gordon, said she had attempted "to deal with a very difficult situation on her own for many months''.
"This is a unique case, created by a terrible incident involving a vulnerable little boy.
"The Education Department should take into account there are exceptional circumstances involved and assist Ms Williams in relation to her significant economic loss which is directly attributable to her son's injuries and has compounded the family's distress.''
Education Minister Jennifer Rankine on Friday said: "It is most regrettable this incident occurred.''
"In my letter to Ms Williams last year, I advised her that I had arranged for a senior officer to contact her to assist with any medical expenses incurred as a result of this incident,'' she said.
"I advised Ms Williams that any request for further compensation — including loss of income — would need to go through a formal process. The State Government's insurer SAICORP is handling this matter''.
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