FATHER PICKS UP HIS 5-YEAR-OLD SON FROM DAYCARE — THEN DOCTORS DISCOVER A SERIOUS LEG FRACTURE

An Australian father says his trust in childcare has been shattered after his five-year-old son suffered a serious leg fracture while attending a daycare centre in Tamworth, New South Wales.

Darcy Galliano was initially told that his little boy had dislocated his knee. However, medical examinations later revealed a spiral fracture of the child’s left femur, requiring emergency surgery and months of recovery.

Eight days after the incident, the childcare centre was ordered to close for at least six months following regulatory findings concerning ongoing compliance failures and child safety risks.

A Phone Call Every Parent Dreads

On September 1, 2026, Darcy received a call asking him to collect his son from Little Kindy Childcare Centre.

According to the centre’s incident report, the five-year-old had attempted to jump over a wooden bench shortly before 3pm when he slipped and struck his left knee.

Staff applied an ice pack and contacted the child’s mother.

But when Darcy arrived, he immediately became concerned by the severity of his son’s pain.

He later told ABC News that his child appeared close to losing consciousness. When he tried lifting the boy, his screams could be heard by his mother from a nearby supermarket car park.

Doctors Discover a Broken Femur

Darcy sought medical assistance, and subsequent examinations revealed that his son had sustained a spiral fracture to his left femur — the thigh bone.

The injury was substantially more serious than the dislocated knee initially described to the family.

The child underwent emergency surgery and was expected to spend six months in a full leg cast.

According to the incident report reviewed by ABC News, medical personnel had not been contacted by the childcare centre, and the incident had not been reported to authorities.

Childcare Centre Ordered to Close

Eight days after the incident, the NSW Early Learning Commission ordered the centre to close for six months.

The regulator cited ongoing non-compliance and child safety risks.

Its findings included failures relating to maintaining a safe environment, reporting incidents and implementing adequate child protection practices.

Inspectors also identified hazardous or unclean areas, inadequate protective surfacing beneath equipment, and unstable or unsecured furniture.

Early Learning Commissioner Darryl Currie said the regulator had previously taken compliance action involving the centre and considered that there was an immediate risk to children.

Other Families Also Affected

The temporary closure created difficulties for families who depended on the centre for childcare.

Little Kindy operates three centres across Tamworth, with its other two local facilities remaining open at the time of the ABC report.

The commission said it would work with the provider during the suspension period in an attempt to bring the affected centre into compliance with required standards.

Little Kindy had been contacted by ABC News for comment.

A Father’s Trust Has Been Shattered

For Darcy, the experience has raised concerns extending beyond his own son’s injury.

He said his family would manage the difficult recovery ahead, but questioned what might happen if a similarly serious incident involved a much younger baby.

He also expressed concern for other parents who were forced to find alternative childcare following the centre’s closure.

His son’s recovery will take time. Meanwhile, the case has brought renewed attention to the responsibility childcare providers carry when families entrust them with their children.

Source: ABC News Australia, October 10, 2026. Reporting by Max Tillman and Genevieve Blandin de Chalain.