Education Minister Jason Clare called to review child safety protocols after horror childcare worker allegations

News.com.au

20 hours ago

Labor has been called on to urgently review national child protection protocols after a Melbourne childcare worker was charged over the alleged abuse of multiple children as young as five months old.
Joshua Brown, 26, was also hit with charges including committing sexual activity in presence of a child under 16, and possessing child abuse material for use through a carriage service, which police allege occurred at a Point Cook childcare centre between April 2022 and January 2023.
Both the Coalition and Bravehearts have called on the government to review national child protection protocols in light of the horrific allegations.
Bravehearts chief executive Alison Geale said the charges were 'deeply distressing' and showed the 'urgent need for systemic reform in how we protect our most vulnerable'.
'We urgently call for a national review of child protection protocols in early learning settings, including more rigorous screening, monitoring, and reporting systems,' she said.
The Coalition has also issued a joint statement from education and early learning spokesman Jonno Duniam and assistant minister Zoe McKenzie, which called for a review of Australia's child safety safeguards, and said they were 'ready to work with the government' to boost transparency and accountability.
This includes an audit into the National Quality Framework.
'These allegations represent a fundamental breach of trust in the very places on which parents rely to care for their children and keep them safe,' they said.
'This is every parent's worst nightmare – and the Coalition extends our deepest sympathies to the alleged victims, their families, and everyone else affected.'
Speaking from Sydney on Tuesday, Early Childhood Minister Jason Clare flagged incoming legislation which would strip government funding from unscrupulous childcare centres.
The Bills are expected to be introduced over the coming months when parliament returns in July.
Under proposed legislation, providers who persistently fail to meet minimum standards and repetitively breach laws will not have access to the Child Care Subsidy funding.
'This is extremely serious. There is nothing more serious than this. The alleged perpetrator is in custody right now, but this is one of the reasons why this was top of the agenda when education ministers met in Adelaide on Friday,' he said.
'It's one of the reasons why I will bring legislation to the federal parliament in the next few months to cut off funding to childcare centres that aren't up to scratch.'
He also flagged new laws which state instances of physical and sexual assault in childcare centres must be reported within 24 hours, and bans mobile phone use in centres.
'There are more than 1 million parents who rely on our early education and care system to care for our children, to educate our children and to keep our children safe,' he said.
'This is personal for me because I'm one of those parents, and there is nothing more important to me than making sure that we take every step we need to take to keep our kids safe.'
Mr Brown's identity was revealed after Victoria Police successfully overturned a suppression order.
He will appear before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on September 15.
A widespread investigation has been launched by Victoria Police and parents of children who attended one of 20 childcare centres where Mr Brown was employed have been notified.
Victorian chief health officer Christian McGrath said 2600 families have been contacted and 1200 children have been urged to undergo infectious diseases testing as 'a precaution'.