The manager of a Cairns childcare centre, charged with manslaughter after a toddler was found dead inside the centre's minibus, called triple-0 after discovering the boy's body, a court has heard.

Key points: Dionne Grills was granted bail on a charge of manslaughter

Dionne Grills was granted bail on a charge of manslaughter The court was read a transcript of the childcare centre manager's call to triple zero

The court was read a transcript of the childcare centre manager's call to triple zero The manager also drove the minibus

The three-year-old boy was found dead inside the minibus that was parked outside the Hambledon State School in the southern Cairns suburb of Edmonton last Tuesday.

In the Cairns Magistrates Court, Senior Sergeant Maynard Marcum read the court a transcript of the triple-0 call made by the childcare centre's manager, Michael Glen Lewis, 45, after he found the boy.

"Oh my God, this kid is dead. "Oh my God. I'm the director of the childcare centre. "The child was left on the bus all day. "I've just opened up the bus and he's here, dead. "... I'm so sorry buddy. "I'm going to jail, this is my fault. "Oh my God. My whole life is over."

The court heard Mr Lewis and Dionne Grills, a casual employee of the centre, allegedly forgot to pick up the boy from his home on their first bus run and it was only after the boy's mother called that they returned to pick him up.

Mr Lewis drove 4.5 kilometres back to the centre arriving at 9:15am, the court heard.

The boy was the only child on the bus and was seated two seats behind the driver.

The court heard the boy was left alone on the bus after the pair went inside the centre.

Mr Lewis then drove to another centre across town for a meeting that took several hours.

At 3:16pm, Mr Lewis found the boy dead in the bus outside Hambledon State School.

Senior Sergeant Marcum told the court the boy was allegedly incorrectly signed in on the centre's computer system more than an hour before he was even collected from home.

'This child was forgotten'

Senior Sergeant Marcum said it appeared that Mr Lewis — a father of three — failed to manually sign in the victim when the child got on the bus.

However, the child was signed in on the centre's computer system as being present, despite never arriving.

Michael Glen Lewis is the childcare centre's manager. ( ABC News: Marian Faa )

"This is an act of criminal negligence, appalling in its nature," Senior Sergeant Marcum said.

"In that 4.5 kilometres, this child was forgotten.

"There wasn't even a cursory glance."

Mr Lewis sat in the dock with his head down during the proceedings.

Casual worker also charged

Dionne Batrice Grills, 34, was a casual employee who had been working at the centre for less than a month and was also granted bail after facing court for manslaughter over the boy's death.

Ms Grills' lawyer, Jacqui O'Reilly, said her client would not have contact with witnesses, any staff from the Goodstart Learning Centre or her co-accused and was not a flight risk.

Dionne Grills leaving court in Cairns after being granted bail. ( AAP Image: Brian Cassey )

"She has ties to the region, her fiancé is here and works in the area," she said.

Outside court, Acting Detective Inspector Jason Smith said the pair were charged on Monday afternoon after a week-long investigation.

"The family is … distressed and very upset about this and hopefully now that the matter is before the court, they'll get the answers that they need," he said.

"This is the culmination of a week-long investigation and we are grateful for the assistance of specialist detectives from Brisbane and Townsville.

"During the investigation, police have liaised with the family and in fact, their broader family in Bamaga and Townsville.

"The staff from Goodstart Early Learning did provide detectives with assistance and at this stage, no-one else is under investigation."

In a statement, Goodstart said it had stood aside two educators from its Edmonton centre after the charges.

Last week, the company suspended its national minibus service after the death, to review its processes and procedures.

Temperatures hit 34C in Cairns last Tuesday, when the boy was left inside the bus.

Tributes were laid outside the Goodstart Early Learning Centre at Edmonton in Cairns after the boy was found dead in one of its buses. ( ABC News: Mark Rigby )

In a statement, Goodstart Early Learning said it would investigate if any childcare subsidies had been incorrectly claimed.

"We are aware that the Cairns Magistrates Court today heard allegations that the centre director at Edmonton fraudulently claimed the child attended the centre when they had not," it said.

"Goodstart, like every other early learning and care organisation, must adhere to the Federal Government's rules and regulations about the provision of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

"While the matter is before the court, we are constrained in what we can say about this allegation, but we are investigating.

"If there are irregularities, Goodstart will fully refund any subsidy incorrectly claimed, through the routine processes established under the CCS."

'We're all distraught'

One of the boy's relatives, Thomas Namok, who lives in Sydney, said the family was deeply saddened by the tragedy.

"We're all distraught at the moment. We just can't believe this has happened. We just want answers," he said.

"The last few days have just been terrible but everyone [in the family] will continue to support each other.

"He was just a cheerful little boy … we would always laugh every time he's around. That's what I remember of him. It's going to be sad he's not going to be around anymore."