A 4-year-old disappeared in a Tel Aviv kindergarten. The teachers didn't even notice he was missing.

A 4-year-old boy was found locked in a dark storage room at a Tel Aviv kindergarten last Wednesday, exhausted and terrified, after staff failed to notice his absence for hours. The discovery came only when his mother arrived to pick him up, prompting a frantic search by parents and staff.

According to N12, the child was found lying on the floor of the storage room, which is typically open during the day but locked at 2:00 PM before the afternoon session. Neither the kindergarten nor afternoon program staff realized he was missing until the search began. The incident, reported Sunday, has left some parents unwilling to send their children back to the facility, with one mother telling N12 that the municipality’s response feels like “a cover-up and stalling.”

The Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality called it “an unusual and extremely serious incident” and said a detailed investigation is underway, led by the Early Childhood Advancement Department. The probe will review existing protocols, consider stricter guidelines, and ensure better oversight of the school day. “Based on the findings, we’ll take steps to prevent this from happening again,” the municipality said, adding that an Education Ministry supervisor and regional manager met with the boy’s parents Wednesday and will continue offering support.

Since the incident, the kindergarten has been supported by a counselor and the city’s Psychological-Educational Service, providing assistance to families, including talks with children and parents. A meeting with all parents was also held, attended by early childhood officials and Yuval Education, which runs the afternoon program.

The case has sparked outrage, with parallels drawn to other recent tragedies in Israel, though no injuries were reported here beyond the child’s distress.