Child found dead in vehicle outside Broward daycare, Plantation police investigating

Plantation police are investigating after a child was found dead inside a vehicle Monday evening at an early childhood education center.

Officers and firefighters responded just before 5:40 p.m. to A World of Discovery Academy, located at 7025 Northwest 4th Street, after receiving a report of a child inside a vehicle.

When first responders arrived, Plantation Fire Rescue pronounced the child dead at the scene.

"Unfortunately, the dad arrived to pick up his child. And when he arrived in the parking lot, he realized he forgot the child. He never dropped off the child at the school. He just went straight from home to his work. And, unfortunately, when he arrived at school, he realized the situation," World of Discovery Academy owner Leslie Novoa told CBS News Miami.

According to Novoa, the child was almost 2 years old. 

Novoa also said "I was the one who  called 911. I tried to help the daddy. He is part of a wonderful family. They have been with us the past six years. They are great parents."

She said "this is hard. This is hard for the parents. This is hard for us. nothing like this has ever happened here before never ever and I hope this never happens again."

"It's always important to remember children in the back seat," she said. "Parents must always be aware of their driving  and make sure you do drop off your child at a school and always double check the back of your car and make sure you do the right thing. This was a really terrible terrible situation."

Novoa said her pre- school has 188 children attending it. 

Plantation police detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the child's death. Officials have not released the child's identity or officially confirmed the child's age, and no additional details have been made public.

The investigation into the child's death remains ongoing.

Statistics of children dying in hot cars 

According to the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety, this is at least the ninth child to die in a hot car in the United States this year and the third such death reported in Florida in 2026.

The organization's data shows the first hot car death in Florida this year occurred in Winter Haven on March 31, followed by a second in Riverview on June 20.

Since 1990, at least 1,181 children have died in hot cars nationwide, while another 7,500 have survived with injuries ranging in severity, according to the organization. About 86% of children who die in hot cars are age 3 or younger, and the majority were unknowingly left behind by a parent or caregiver, Kids and Car Safety said.

Safety tips for parents and caregivers

Kids and Car Safety recommends creating simple routines to help prevent children from being left in vehicles.

To help ensure a child is never left alone in a car, parents and caregivers should:

• Place a diaper bag or another child-related item in the front passenger seat as a visual reminder that the child is in the vehicle.
• Make it a habit to open the back door every time you park. Placing an everyday essential, such as a work badge, laptop, phone or purse, in the back seat can help reinforce the routine.
• Ask your child care provider to contact you immediately if your child does not arrive as expected.
• Clearly communicate and confirm who is responsible for removing each child from the vehicle to avoid misunderstandings.

The organization also recommends taking steps to prevent children from getting into parked vehicles by:

• Keeping vehicles locked at all times, including when parked in a driveway or garage, and encouraging visitors and neighbors to do the same.
• Storing car keys out of children's reach.
• Using childproof door knob covers or door alarms to prevent children from leaving the home unnoticed.
• Teaching children how to honk the horn or activate the hazard lights if they become trapped inside a vehicle.
• Immediately checking the passenger compartment, floorboards and trunk of every nearby vehicle if a child is missing, even if the vehicle is locked.