Humpty Doo childcare centre death: Toddler, 2, dies two days after serious medical incident

A two-year-old girl has died two days after being rushed to hospital following an accident at a childcare centre. 

The toddler was immediately rushed to the Royal Darwin Hospital on Thursday after the incident, where doctors unsuccessfully attempted to save her.

Since her passing on Saturday, investigations are now underway into what went wrong at the Humpty Doo Community and Child Care Centre, 40kms outside of Darwin. 

St John emergency crews were the first to respond to the incident and confirmed that they transported one patient to the hospital who was  in critical condition.

NT Police launched their investigation into the ‘unexpected death of a toddler’ on Sunday, and the childcare centre has since released two statements regarding the incident.

After being rushed to the Royal Darwin Hospital (pictured) on Thursday, doctors were unsuccessful in saving her and she died on Saturday 

In messages sent to parents, the Humpty Doo Community and Child Care Centre Inc confirmed that a child ‘required medical assistance’ at their premises late last week.

‘We can assure families there is no identifiable risk to any children in the service,’ the statement read, according to NT News.

‘We want to reassure families that the safety of their children is always our highest priority.’

In a separate statement released on Monday, the centre addressed the death of the two-year-old girl who had ‘tragically passed away over the weekend’.

‘Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts are with the family and friends at this time,’ the childcare centre wrote. 

‘We are still limited in what can be shared and appreciate the stress and worry this may cause.’

Despite an active investigation into the incident, Humpty Doo childcare centre remains open as of Tuesday. 

A mother wishing to remain anonymous revealed to NT News that she was now questioning whether it was safe to leave her child there. 

‘I can’t imagine what that family is going through,’ the Humpty Doo mum said.

‘When you hand over your child to a childcare centre, you’re trusting them with their life.

‘The last thing you imagine is getting a call that your baby isn’t coming home.’

The mother said that she was ‘disappointed’ in the lack of information provided, and that she knew of others who stopped sending their children there until further notice. 

The childcare centre has released two statements since the incident, the first of which assured parents that their children were safe and the second expressing grief for the deceased child

Humpty Doo is a small rural township, and the childcare centre is a community-run establishment taking care of up to 116 children

The community-run Humpty Doo childcare centre is managed by local parents volunteering their time.

According to its website, the centre cares for up to 116 children aged between four-months and five-years-old. 

‘The PMC (Parent Management Committee) work in partnership with the Director to maintain quality care and education, they also ensure the Centre remains viable and compliant with national laws and regulations,’ the website reads.