Childcare worker pleads guilty after eight-month-old suffers fracture in Dapto centre

A childcare worker in Dapto, New South Wales, has pleaded guilty to neglect after an eight-month-old baby sustained a greenstick fracture when the worker tripped and fell while holding him, court records and hospital and police accounts show.

CCTV footage later reviewed by investigators shows the worker picking the infant up and walking into another room before tripping on a cushion, losing her balance and falling forward while holding the child. The baby slipped from her arms, struck a couch and began crying. Doctors at Wollongong Hospital diagnosed a greenstick fracture — a bone injury in which the bone bends and cracks but does not break.

The child's parents said they were not told about any incident when they collected their son from Playbase Early Learning in the Illawarra region. The family first noticed a bruise on the infant's knee later that day and, after seeking treatment, were told a fracture was present. Hospital staff raised concerns about possible non-accidental injury and police were called, temporarily preventing the parents from taking the child home.

Child Abuse detectives reviewed CCTV from the childcare centre two days after the hospital visit and cleared the parents of wrongdoing after the footage showed the fall inside the centre. The parents told reporters they felt traumatised by the suspicion and by what they described as dismissive treatment while trying to get answers.

The worker, named in court documents as Mira Jayme, was charged with neglect of a child, an offence that can carry a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment. She pleaded guilty to the charge. Despite police requests that she be imprisoned, a court ordered a two-year Community Corrections Order and required her to perform 200 hours of community service. She was also dismissed from her role at the centre.

Playbase Early Learning has been cleared of any organisational wrongdoing after investigators reviewed the incident, according to statements from authorities. The names of the child and family involved have been changed in public reporting to protect their privacy.

The sequence of events highlights procedures that can follow when a young child is injured in a care setting: hospitals and child protection authorities may initiate inquiries to rule out abuse, including police involvement, while childcare operators and staff can face criminal investigation if negligence is suspected. In this case, CCTV played a central role in establishing how the injury occurred and in exonerating the parents.

Local regulators and police have not reported any further disciplinary outcomes against Playbase Early Learning beyond the dismissal of the worker. The court-ordered community corrections order will include supervision and conditions set by the sentencing magistrate. The worker's conviction may be recorded and could affect future employment in childcare or roles involving children.

The incident has prompted public discussion about communication between childcare centres and parents when injuries occur and the role of surveillance footage in resolving such disputes. Authorities continue to advise parents and carers to report concerns to appropriate agencies and to seek medical attention promptly when a child is injured.