A child fell between a cabinet bed and a wall at Kuokkalankulma daycare in Lempäälä on 17 September, and the child cut their lip in the fall, Helsingin Sanomat reported. The Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (LVV), the permit and supervision agency, has now completed its investigation into the incident, according to Iltalehti and Yle.
According to the agency, a substitute employee raised the cabinet beds without first confirming that every bed was empty. The error occurred in verifying the number of children, and the substitute did not follow the instructions given, LVV said.
The investigation found no unlawful conduct in the daycare's operations. LVV did state that leaving guidance on cabinet bed use to a substitute's own initiative is not an adequate way to ensure children's safety. It said it is the daycare director's responsibility to make sure staff are properly inducted and that safety instructions are followed in practice, particularly where safety risks have been identified.
Several factors contributed to the near-miss. No early childhood education teacher who met the qualification requirements was present in the group, even though staffing otherwise met the legal minimum. Waking the children, dressing them, and arranging the snack all occurred at the same time as some staff were ending their shifts.
"Safe early childhood education requires more than meeting the minimum requirements of the law. Induction must be taken care of, the safety of operations must be assessed continuously, and staffing resources must be assessed in relation to children's care hours, the structure of operations and the transitions that take place during the day," said senior inspector Marja-Liisa Keski-Rauska.
After the incident, the municipality of Lempäälä tightened safety instructions for rest periods, strengthened the structural safety of the cabinet beds and renewed its induction practices for substitutes. LVV considers the corrective measures appropriate and said the matter does not lead to further supervisory action.
Earlier this year, a two-year-old child died after being trapped between a cabinet bed and a wall at the Kelokuusi daycare in Vantaa.