Preschoolers Walk Out of School without Any Adults

Seven unaccompanied children left their preschool in Arizona and were seen walking on a nearby road. The preschoolers, approximately as young as 18 months, were from Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool. According to the school’s employees, the kids managed to leave the school’s playground because the gate was faulty. Despite the incident, the kids were not harmed. Motorists noticed the toddlers walking on the street alone and immediately took them back to the school. One of the drivers who brought the children back spoke to a school employee. She reported that the staff did not know the children were missing. Little Sunshine immediately responded to the incident. The school officials suspended the staff who neglected their duties. Furthermore, the preschool released an official statement, announcing plans to set up additional safety features on the gate. In addition, the school reported the incident to Arizona’s childcare licensing authorities. The Arizona police are also conducting an investigation. Although investigators think that it is unlikely for a criminal case to push through, a lawyer who is not connected to the investigation said that Little Sunshine may still face civil charges. In light of the incident, some parents whose toddlers attend the preschool expressed concerns. One father said that he does not feel comfortable about his kids going back to the school. A mother cannot believe that the kids managed to leave the school so easily. She feels horrified, thinking that a worse scenario could have happened if the kids were not rescued right away.