The grandmother of the toddler who was in a critical condition after being left on a childcare centre bus for six hours says the three-year-old is making a swift recovery and has been giggling and eating ice cream in hospital.
It has been a remarkable improvement for Nevaeh Austin, who was revived after being found on the bus at Le Smileys Early Learning Centre in Gracemere, in Central Queensland, on Wednesday.
She was flown to hospital in Brisbane and remains in intensive care in a stable condition.
Her grandmother Pamela Parker said the family was expecting the worst after seeing Nevaeh's "little lifeless body" on Wednesday afternoon.
However, Ms Parker said her granddaughter has pulled through and had been "giggling, squealing and eating ice cream" in hospital.
"To see her yesterday afternoon on FaceTime, happy and then last night eating ice cream, being cheeky," Ms Parker said.
"There are no words that I can maybe find to describe the feeling, how I felt when I saw her the first time yesterday and last night, it was just amazing.
"My baby little girl she's a fighter."
Ms Parker did not want to hinder any investigation but said they family had many questions.
"You would at least on your last drop off or back to the daycare, you'd actually get in the back of the van and make sure there's no bags, toys, no bottles, certainly no children," she said.
"That should have been first and foremost in the front of their minds, check the bus."
Queensland police said Nevaeh was the only child who was picked up by the childcare centre bus on Wednesday morning.
She was left behind by the driver and another staff member at 9am and was found unconscious six hours later, when staff returned to the vehicle for the after-school pick up.
Ms Parker said the family was angry and "needs more answers" and "would not rest" until those responsible were held accountable.
"We've been given no answers," Ms Parker said.
"I understand this is under investigation, and I respect that, but we still need to be told."
Ms Parker said her heart went out to the family of three-year-old Maliq Nicholas Floyd Namok-Malamoo who died in 2020 after being left on a childcare bus in Cairns.
Since then, changes to legislation required all childcare providers to have a written transport policy and procedure.
"There were procedures and protocols put in place by the Department of Education [to prevent incidents like this]. Why weren't they followed?"
"No amount of forgetfulness or … 'Oh I just had a moment' … it just doesn't cut it.
"This is a little girl.
"I honestly believed that last night when I left them at the hospital to fly down to Brisbane that would be the last time I'd see her."
'It's unexplainable': Education Minister
Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace has defended the government's Look Before You Lock campaign, which aims to reduce the number of children left in buses at childcare centres and early education providers.
She said the department ensured policies and practices around transportation were put in place when childcare centres were graded and reviewed by the department.
"My department will work with the QPS (Queensland Police Service) to ensure, number one, that it is fully investigated and, number two, if there was any prosecution that is necessary, that I won't hesitate to take those forward," she said.
Ms Grace said families needed peace of mind that when a child was picked up in a bus to go to a centre they would be "healthy and safe".
Ms Grace said the government was working with police investigating the incident to determine how Nevaeh was left behind.
"It's unexplainable. It's unexplainable and I don't know," she said.
"My heart goes out to the family. I can't explain it, except it is devastating and tragic and I don't want this to happen to anybody again.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said she wanted officers to conduct an "extraordinarily thorough" investigation to get the bottom of what occurred on Wednesday.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the incident "should not have happened", adding that she was "very grateful" to hear that Nevaeh was now sitting up and responsive.
Decrease in the number of children 'left behind'
Ms Grace said there were three instances that the department was aware of when children were left on buses at childcare centres and early education providers in 2021.
In 2019, there were 17 instances, Ms Grace said.
"One is too many but the campaign has produced a significant outcome," Ms Grace said.
"We will continue to review the campaign, continue to roll it out like we did in October of 2020 and last year in May/June."
Ms Grace said more than 3,000 registered childcare providers had been targeted by the campaign.
Calls for 'major inquiry'
Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry called for a "major inquiry".
"Was there not a roll call or something in the childcare centre? Surely to goodness you would know what children are supposed to be in there, and if one is not there, then where is she," she said.
"How could this happen again? There are some questions that definitely need to be answered."
