Special Needs Child Left at Bus Stop with No Parent Present

[Rachaelfreed721]

My question involves child abuse or neglect in the State of: Pennsylvania.

I'm unsure of this is posted in the right area.

I have a 6 year old daughter with special needs let off the bus and left alone with no parent present. I live on a busy street and things that could have happened to my child could have been irreversible. My child has to physically be let out of a 5 point harness to exit the bus and she is the ONLY child at the bus stop. I want action taken against the bus driver and transportation department that did not follow proper procedure.

Please advise, thank you!!

[cdwjava]

What WAS the proper procedure? Is the child to stay on the bus? Is the driver supposed to wait at the scene and inconvenience other families?

And, of course, what do we mean by "special needs?" I had one of those, but his was only an auditory processing issue, but, technically, he was special needs. There is a difference between a severe autistic child and one like my son, and that is important in the equation.

About all you can do is make your complaints known to the school, the transportation department, and the district. What action they may choose to take is up to them, and you may never legally be advised if any discipline is taken,

[geek]

Why wasn't a parent there to meet the child?

[Rachaelfreed721]

It was a substitute bus driver that somehow arrived 15 minutes ahead of scheduled drop off time. No kindergartner is allowed off the bus with no child present. The driver is supposed to continue the run and radio the transportation center who then contacts the parents.

[cdwjava]

Then it sounds as if the process would be to complain to the transportation folks. I don't know what else you wanted to happen, but, that's the method you'd use to make a personnel complaint. Whether the substitute driver will be disciplined or not depends on a variety of factors that we cannot possibly know.

At least your child's safe.

[Mercy&Grace]

The substitute driver might be disciplined. It is doubtful that anything worse will happen. You need to be prepared for what you want to happen, not to be what happens.

[Cocoabean]

Then it sounds as if the process would be to complain to the transportation folks. I don't know what else you wanted to happen, but, that's the method you'd use to make a personnel complaint. Whether the substitute driver will be disciplined or not depends on a variety of factors that we cannot possibly know.

At least your child's safe.

Adding on to this, once you make the complaint, it is out of your hands. You may not know what the employer does to the employee as far as discipline. Hope it doesn't happen again, and be thankful your child was not harmed.

[Mr. Knowitall]

I have a 6 year old daughter with special needs let off the bus and left alone with no parent present.

No kindergartner is allowed off the bus with no child present. The driver is supposed to continue the run and radio the transportation center who then contacts the parents.

There are separate rules for special needs children and for kindergarteners. It is possible that the child is covered by both policies, but for the sake of clarity are you claiming that the school bus driver violated policies for special needs students, for kindergarten students, or both?

As others have indicated, you should report any policy violation or safety concern to the school district, which should take appropriate action for the policy violation. Fortunately, from what you have shared, there was no injury.