FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Federal Way Police said they are trying to get in touch with the parents of a toddler who wandered away from a day care yesterday evening.
Maris Wilson said her husband discovered the boy near their home about a block away from Kinder-Start Daycare on SW 332nd Street.
"There was a little child in diapers not talking that was lost and crying," said Wilson.
The Wilsons called 911 and said an officer did not show up.
"I was very surprised to find that after 15 to 20 minutes they had not showed up," said Wilson.
Wilson said another neighbor recognized the child from Kinder-Start and decided to take him there.
Federal Way Police said that after hearing the boy was with neighbors and safe, it was not a priority to rush there.
Officers arrived about an hour later to the day care.
Wilson said she also wanted to know that the child's parents were notified about what happened.
She said she was surprised to hear what the caretaker at Kinder-Start told her husband.
"She said to my husband, 'Hey, can we not say anything, is there something we can work out,?'" said Wilson.
A woman in a van marked "Kinder-Start" was at the house when we arrived.
We tried to ask her about what happened and if the boy's parents were contacted, but she said, "I have to get going," and sped off.
Our calls to Kinder-Start were also not returned.
Federal Way Police said it can be common for children from day cares to wander off.
However, a spokesperson from the Department of Early Learning, the agency that oversees day cares, said it's not common for kids to wander away, and that licensors work with day cares to make improvements after something like this happens.
"I would like to see some improvements at this day care. I would like to know if the parents were notified that this happened," said Wilson.
Federal Way Police said on Thursday officers are trying to get in touch with the boy's parents; however, their calls to the day care were also not returned.
KIRO
