At least 17 children have gone missing in pre-school services since the beginning of last year.
This includes 11 in 2019, and six in the first nine months of this year.
271 children were seriously injured in childcare facilities last year, an increase of over 50% on 2018.
Kerri Smith, from Barnardos, says the number of kids temporarily going missing is concerning noting “Working with young children there are a lot of transitions so, you know, children can be moving say from maybe outdoors to indoors, moving from maybe one group room activity to another, they maybe moving from bathroom into maybe dining area so there are lots of times, I suppose, that staff need to be very vigiliant around children, and ensuring that all the children under their care are with them”.
