I need advice. I've a 2 year 9 month girl in care who is giving my staff and me lots of concerns. First of all this child runs off any chance she can get. She figured out how to open the gate in the yard and runs away. She has never gotten beyond the driveway because my staff is very alert to her behavior. However, Friday she got out when a mom dropped off kids and left the gate open. I had 4 staff in the yard and no one saw her escape. She was gone for 20 mins before I found her in a neighbors yard playing with a dog. I almost had a heart attack. We've NEVER lost a kid. We've never had a kid try to run away. Our playground is awesome and fun but this kid loves to run.

When we told mom she just laughed and told us that she does this at home all the time. Once went in to a neighbors house and was playing in the neighbors kids rooms. No one was home only way they found her was because front door was open. She just didn't seem concerned her kid was missing for 20 mins.

We've thought about locking the gate but feel this is unsafe to lock everyone in basically a cage with a padlock. I'm not sure what else to do to assure she never escapes again. Short of just leashing her to a staff member.

Also, recently she's started freaking, hysterical every time we change her diaper and have to wipe her bottom. She screams, "owie owie" and it basically takes two of us to hold her down to get poo out. She also won't let us use an ear thermometer to check her temp.

She's only been in our care 2 months so we thought things would get better and she would clue into the routine. She's pretty non-verbal and just doesn't listen at all. She runs around the room all day. She never just sits and plays with toys. She's such a sweetie and loves hugs and snuggles. We don't want to give up on her but at what point do you? We've worked on learning the word STOP but she still isn't getting it. I just am afraid she's going to get lose again.

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