A Merseyside mother faced a terrifying ordeal after a safeguarding blunder at Kids Planet nursery in Crosby led to her two-year-old daughter, Rosie McDonald, being taken mistakenly by an approved collector for another child on 10 June 2026. The man bypassed security doors, collected Rosie while she was asleep, and drove away before the error was spotted and the toddler was safely returned about 10 minutes later.
Security Breakdown Exposed
The approved grandfather had passed security checks and was authorised to collect his own granddaughter. However, nursery staff failed to follow strict collection protocols, allowing him to take Rosie by mistake from the toddler room.
Mothers Panic And Response
Jody Riley was working nearby when she received the emergency call from the nursery. Suffering a severe panic attack, she described it as “every parent’s worst nightmare.” She immediately withdrew Rosie from the nursery, citing a total loss of trust in its safety procedures.
Nursery Takes Action
- Staff involved placed under supervised working conditions
- Heightened security and mandatory retraining on collection rules were introduced
- Incident self-referred to Ofsted and Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for investigation
Official Safeguarding Review Underway
Ofsted and local authorities are reviewing the childcare centre’s safeguarding measures to ensure compliance with national safety standards following the incident.
