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This article contains references to child abuse.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced urgent new measures to improve childcare safety following allegations that a former childcare worker sexually abused multiple children.
Twenty-six-year-old Melbourne childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown has been accused of abusing eight children, whose ages range between five months and two years old.
Brown has been charged with more than 70 offences, including sexual assault and producing child abuse material.
Authorities have identified 1,200 children who may have been affected and are being urged to undergo precautionary testing for infectious diseases.
Around 2,600 families have children at centres where Brown worked. The government said affected families have now been contacted via email.
Brown worked across 20 other childcare centres. Police said there is no evidence other childcare workers were involved in Brown’s alleged offences. He is due to face court in September.
Mobile phone ban and urgent safety review
In response, Allan said “more needs to happen now” and that “families cannot wait”, announcing new measures that will be rolled out over the coming months.
From 26 September, all Victorian childcare centres will be required to ban personal mobile devices — a policy that was previously left to individual facilities.
“To avoid delay, we’ll be putting all Victorian childcare centres on notice,” Allan announced at a press conference on Wednesday morning, adding centres failing to comply will face potential fines of up to $50,000 and conditions placed on their licences.
An “urgent review into childcare safety” will also be launched, which Allan said would be a “short, sharp piece of work” focused on immediate actions Victoria can take. Its findings will be due by 15 August.
The review will consider options such as installing CCTV in childcare centres and explore whether Victoria can “go even further and act faster” than the national framework allows.
The state also plans to expand its registration system to track early childhood educators working before the kindergarten years.
Victoria’s Children Minister Lizzie Blandthorn said: “We can do that immediately. We can do that within two months.”
Allan also announced a $5,000 “immediate-needs payment” for affected families, including those whose children are referred for precautionary testing. The payment is intended to support families with time off work, alternative care, and medical or mental health costs.
Federal response and Working with Children Check reforms
The federal government is also working with states to strengthen Working with Children Checks, with legislation expected by the end of the year to expand safeguards in early education settings.
Education Minister Jason Clare said he was informed about the incident “over a week ago” and that it was one of the reasons child safety was discussed at last week’s ministerial meeting — although the case itself was not directly addressed.
“For every parent that is directly affected by this in Victoria, they would be frightened, and they’d be angry,” Clare said during a Wednesday morning press conference.
“I know that they’re angry because one of those parents is a friend of mine, and her two little girls are directly affected by this.”
“My friend is mad because of all of the stress and the trauma and the crap that she and her girls are going to have to go through in the weeks ahead. This is serious, and it requires serious action,” Clare said.
He said upcoming legislation would include cutting off funding for centres that “aren’t up to scratch”. But he cautioned that Working with Children Checks are “not a silver bullet”, noting that many perpetrators pass background checks because they have no prior convictions.
Brown had a valid Working with Children Check.
“It’s taken too long to do the work necessary to make sure that our Working With Children Check system is up to scratch,” he said.
Child sexual abuse organisations call for a national review
Alison Geale, CEO of Bravehearts, an organisation dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse, said the allegations were “deeply distressing” and underscored the “urgent need for systemic reform in how we protect our most vulnerable”.
“It is unacceptable that someone accused of such prolific and heinous crimes was able to move between multiple childcare centres undetected,” she said.
“We urgently call for a national review of child protection protocols in early learning settings, including more rigorous screening, monitoring, and reporting systems.”
The organisation welcomed the Victorian government’s immediate changes while calling for further action.
“These are strong and necessary steps. But they must be just the beginning,” Geale said.
“Bravehearts has long advocated for a nationally consistent approach to child protection, one that includes robust background checks, mandatory child safety training for all early childhood workers, and independent oversight of all institutions where children are present.”
At least 79 per cent of child sexual abuse survivors reported they were abused by someone they knew, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
A 2023 study found more than one in four Australians (28.5 per cent) had experienced child sexual abuse. In more than half of the cases, the onset of abuse happened before they were eight years old.
One in four Australians is not confident in identifying indicators of sexual abuse, and only one in five feels confident talking to a child or parent about sexual abuse, according to the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse.
The Greens have renewed their calls for a royal commission into safety and quality in Australia’s early childhood education system.
Greens senator Steph Hodgins-May said: “How many more horror stories from across the country need to emerge for the government to recognise the ongoing and systemic nature of abuse allegations within our childcare centres?”
“We can’t keep looking away. The government must establish a royal commission to uncover the scale of the crisis and chart a way forward to keep our kids safe.”
Victorian Greens early childhood education spokesperson Anasina Gray-Barberio said the childcare sector in Victoria was “deeply flawed”.
“We have heard the childcare sector in Victoria is deeply flawed, lacking transparency and oversight, and leaving the door open for abuse and neglect.
“Everyone rightfully concerned for their children’s safety today needs answers.
“It’s been distressing to hear that some of these affected centres were in my electorate of Northern Metro. My office is here to support everyone, and I encourage people to reach out so we can help you access support services.”
Readers seeking support can ring Lifeline crisis support on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25). More information is available at beyondblue.org.au and lifeline.org.au.
Anyone seeking information or support relating to sexual abuse can contact Bravehearts on 1800 272 831 or Blue Knot on 1300 657 380.
