Toddlers Wander Away From Daycare Unnoticed, Teachers Suspended

Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool in Gilbert, Arizona is under investigation after seven toddlers wandered away from the school and onto a busy street without any adults noticing.

According to The Arizona Republic, the toddlers walked away from the preschool and into traffic Friday morning, forcing drivers to slam on their brakes. Three drivers noticed the children very close to the road and brought them back to the daycare and notified police.

Gilbert police said a gate on the playground malfunctioned and the kids were able to leave. Employees were reportedly present but didn’t see the children escape. All seven children were safely returned to the school and parent were notified the same day of the incident.

The daycare released a statement saying, “As soon as we learned of the incident, we immediately contacted the parents of the students involved, suspended the teachers pending the investigation, and self-reported to the State of Arizona Childcare licensing. We are taking this incident very seriously as the safety of each of our students is our top priority.”

Fox 10 Phoenix reports police do not expect criminal charges at this time but are still investigating.