Florida father went to pick up his 23-month-old son from daycare. Then he realized the boy had never been dropped off

A 23-month-old boy died after he was found inside a family SUV outside a daycare center in Plantation, Florida, according to authorities cited by Fox News. Police said the boy’s father had believed he had already dropped his son off at the daycare earlier that day.

The Plantation Police Department said they and the Plantation Fire Department responded at around 5:39 p.m. Monday to a report of a child who was unresponsive inside a vehicle at A World of Discovery Academy, an early childhood education center. Firefighters pronounced the child dead at the scene, officials said. Police said the circumstances surrounding the child’s death remain under investigation.

Leslie Novoa, the owner of A World of Discovery Academy, told television station WSVN-TV that she called 911 along with the boy’s father after the child was found in the back seat of the family’s SUV. According to Novoa, the father had arrived at the daycare to pick up his son when he realized his son had never actually been dropped off that day.

Daycare owner says father realized the mistake at pickup time

“Unfortunately, the dad arrived to pick up his child, and when he arrived to the parking lot, he realized he forgot the child,” Novoa said. “He never dropped off the child at the school.”

Novoa said she has known the family for six years and said their three children attended the daycare. She described the parents as loving. Lapses like this are not isolated, as seen in a separate case where a father dozed off while driving with his kids and crashed into another vehicle.

“This is hard for the parents, hard for us,” Novoa told the station. “This is sad to see this family – a wonderful family – to go through so much pain. Like I said before, they’re a very loving family, and unfortunately, this happened,” she added.

The daycare later released a written statement expressing condolences to the family and pledging support during the investigation, per WSVN-TV. “Our primary responsibility is the safety and well-being of our students and their families,” the statement said. 

“We communicated with our school community as soon as possible, and we remain in contact with our families to provide support during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement continued. “This student and their family are beloved members of our community. At this time, our focus is on supporting those grieving this immense loss.”

Plantation police have not released additional details about what led to the child being left in the vehicle or how long the child may have been inside before he was found. Authorities said the investigation into the death is ongoing, and no further information has been made public at this time. Other recent tragedies have similarly raised questions about vehicle safety, including a case in which a Tesla on Autopilot crashed into a home.