THE parents of a six-year-old boy forced to walk more than 3km home through the back streets of Cairns have slammed the daycare centre that did not pick him up.

Plucky Declan Masters trudged from Woree State School on Windarra St to his mothe's home at Carnation Dr, Mooroobool after his bus failed to turn up, leaving him stranded.

An ABC Learning Centre bus was scheduled to take him to the company's Woree centre but Declan's parents, Terence Masters and Melissa Gilbert, said it never appeared.

Unaware that Declan had trekked the long distance home, Ms Gilbert went to pick him up from the daycare centre about 5pm and was told he was not there.

Mr Masters said they both were a "mess", believing their son was missing.

"I nearly collapsed," he said.

"This is my little boy.

"It's the worst fear of every parent."

They told police and family and two of the daycare centre's staff started searching for Declan, whose hair was dyed blue for his school's sports day.

"We even put a call out for Sunbus drivers to be on the lookout for a little boy in a blue shirt with bright blue hair," Mr Masters said.

He said they were surprised and relieved when Ms Gilbert found Declan at her home.

"He was sitting on the steps crying," Mr Masters said.

"He might have been on the doorstep by himself for an hour."

An ABC Learning Centre spokesman said the company was investigating the incident.

"It was an unfortunate incident," he said.

"There was obviously miscommunication involved.

"We're investigating the incident and working with authorities."

It is understood the bus arrived at the school.

But it's unknown why Declan was not picked up.

Mr Masters said he hoped the daycare centre would be more careful in the future to avoid putting parents through such an ordeal.

"I was thinking, who’s picked him up? What have they done with him," Mr Masters said.

"There are a lot of what ifs.

"At least this mistake had a good outcome.

"Next time it might be worse.

"You could have a missing child on your hands or some freak could drive along and pick them up."

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