A mother is seeking attention for her baby’s ordeal after the child was scratched while in childcare. Distressing images of the 10-week-old have surfaced, displaying numerous bright red scratches on his face, which were caused by another child at an Australian childcare center.
The mother received a call from Only About Children Melbourne Central, notifying her of an incident during a routine nappy change involving her son. Overwhelmed with emotions, she burst into tears upon arriving at the center and seeing her baby Noah’s face covered in more than a dozen scratches.
Through a translator, she expressed her shock, stating, “We were both in tears. We couldn’t believe such a horrible thing could happen to our boy.” According to the mother, a staff member informed her that Noah had been scratched by another child while they were occupied changing another child’s nappy.
Noah was immediately taken to Box Hill Hospital, where medical professionals assessed his injuries and cleaned his wounds. The mother claims that even the doctors were astonished at the severity of the scratches. They also checked Noah’s eyes and brain to ensure there were no further injuries.
Expressing her anguish, the mother stated, “I feel a lot of pain in my heart. I don’t even want to look at the images.” While Only About Children did not provide a comment to 7NEWS, they did send a letter of apology to the baby’s family.
The Victorian Department of Education acknowledged the incident and informed the media that the center in Melbourne had revised its policies in response to the incident. A spokesperson stated, “The service has implemented measures to address this incident, including reviewing its procedures during nappy change times by adding an additional staff member.” They emphasized their commitment to prioritizing the safety and well-being of every child.
Despite the center’s actions, the mother remains skeptical, remarking, “We just can’t accept this explanation because there were more than 20 scratches on Noah’s face. How could this happen accidentally?” As a result, the family has chosen not to send their son back to childcare, as they continue to grapple with the traumatic experience.
