Latest news with #CreativeGardenEarlyLearningCentre
News.com.au
a day ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
AG vows ‘action' on national working with children's check system after shock allegations of abuse
The Federal Government's top lawyer is vowing 'action' on a national Working With Children check system following allegations of sexual abuse at a Melbourne childcare centre. Earlier this month, Victoria Police revealed it charged Joshua Dale Brown, 26, with more than 70 offences, including child rape and possession of child abuse material. He was a worker at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook and had a working with children check. The alleged abuse has stoked outrage, prompting Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to respond by saying a national system was the 'first item on the agenda' when she meets with state and territory counterparts. 'This is something we are actively doing now,' she told Sky News on Sunday. 'I've been in direct contact with my counterparts … engaging with them about the need to have reform in this area.' Ms Rowland said many would be 'shocked' to learn this was actually a recommendation coming out of a 2015 series of responses on the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse. 'We're now in 2025. What is important here is that we have action,' Mr Rowland said. 'The federal government has not been idle. 'We have been undertaking work to ensure that we do have some mechanisms that are in place.' Currently, Working With Children checks take place at a state and territory level. States and territories do not need to talk to each other about their processes or violations and there is no federal oversight. Ms Rowland said was working 'to ensure that we have a solution that allows near real time reporting, access to data, making sure that we've got consistency and uniformity'. Meanwhile, Education Minister Jason Clare has pledged to introduce legislation that would let Canberra cut federal funds to childcare centres that 'aren't up to scratch' on children's safety. He has said funding was one big lever the federal government could pull. Parliament will resume next week for the first time since the federal election.
7NEWS
12-07-2025
- 7NEWS
Parents' horror after learning their daughter went to childcare where alleged abuser Joshua Brown worked in Melbourne
The public was outraged, an alleged child abuser was charged, and Melody and Hayden Glaister suddenly faced the unthinkable. Their daughter's former 'favourite educator' had been charged by police. His alleged offending against other children, at the same time their now six-year-old was in his care. The only child is one of the thousands of Melbourne children forced to be tested for sexually transmitted infections as a child who attended the Point Cook childcare centre. 'We had to sit her down and ask her if she recalls anyone at that centre ever touching her in an inappropriate way,' said Mrs Glaister. Brown, 26, was charged by Victoria Police earlier this month with more than 70 offences, including the sexual penetration of a child, and the production of child abuse material. His alleged victims have been identified in videos allegedly filmed by Brown, some, as young as five months old. When Hayden Glaister received a text message and email from authorities, he did an online search. Countless media articles and images of their daughter's educator popped up. 'He said, 'it's Josh',' said Mrs Glaister. 'He always wanted to be around the children, he was very bubbly, always smiling, always sort of gravitated towards the children.' Their daughter first attended the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook at six months old. In 2021 and 2022, Joshua Brown was her educator. 'He had offered to provide private babysitting services to us as well. It's something that will always haunt us now,' Mrs Glaister said. With two working parents, the then-three-year-old was booked at childcare from 8am until 6.30pm and was often the last child to be picked up. Mrs Glaister said she and her husband 'had issues with that centre, from a long way back'. They allege, on one occasion, they found their daughter unsupervised. 'When she started school we were incredibly grateful to get her out of that centre,' she said. Mrs Glaister said her daughter can't remember any inappropriate behaviour from the alleged offender. 'She's so innocent, kids are innocent,' Mrs Glaister said. Now, the family sit in a state of limbo, awaiting the results of her STI test. They plan to join a class action lawsuit lead by Shine Lawyers. 'These centres, hiding behind their policies and procedures, that they did the right thing. for so many parents right now, that's not enough, it's not enough' she said. Police have so far identified eight alleged victims. Jodie Willey, chief operating officer of Shine Lawyers, said the class action lawsuit will provide another avenue for 'indirect victims'. 'The heartbreaking reality is that there is a larger cohort of parents who will forever live with this uncertainty around what may or may not have occurred to their children' she said.
Perth Now
09-07-2025
- Perth Now
Huge changes after $150m childcare wipe-out
G8 Education has announced major changes across its hundreds of childcare centres amid a $150m wipe-out in the wake of alleged pedophile Joshua Brown's arrest. The company operates Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook in Victoria where Mr Brown, 26, allegedly abused eight children between April 2022 and January 2023. It is alleged some of the children were as young as five months. The company has suffered a $150m decline in value since the revelation of the allegations. In a statement to investors on Tuesday, G8 Education announced a broad package of additional safety measures in response to the allegations. The company confirmed it was accelerating the rollout of CCTV to its 400 centres nationwide following trials in several of their centres. Joshua Dale Brown has been charged with 70 offences involving eight children at a Point Cook childcare centre. Picture Supplied. Credit: Supplied G8 will also expand its use of Individual Learning Plans to allow parents to nominate preferences about which educators handle their child's personal care, including nappy changes and toileting. The substantial reforms come as the company's stock price continues to sink in the aftermath of the horror allegations, which were announced on July 1. On that day, shares in G8 sold at $1.20, but at yesterday's closing bell, the company closed at 94c a share for a market capitalisation of some $730m. The fall has wiped about $150m in value. G8's managing director and chief executive Pejman Okhovat said he and his team had been meeting personally with families in Victoria in the wake of the allegations against their former employee. 'These allegations are deeply disturbing, and our hearts go out to the children and families involved,' he said. 'I am deeply sorry for the unimaginable pain caused to our families and what they are going through, 'Our primary focus right now is on supporting all families who are impacted, as well as our team members in Victoria. 'We are continuing to work with Victoria Police, the Victorian government and other authorities as part of their ongoing investigation and are doing everything we can to give them the best chance of achieving justice for the children and families involved.' Joshua Brown worked at Creative Gardens Early Learning Centre in Point Cook from October 2021 to February 2024: Supplied Credit: Supplied The company has also committed to commissioning an independent review of the incident once the criminal proceedings are concluded, to further strengthen its child safety procedures. G8 said that, while it already has comprehensive child safety policies in place, including banning devices in childcare rooms, mandatory reporting protocols, and ongoing staff training, it recognises the need to go further. Beyond its own network, G8 has called for broader sector reform, including the establishment of a national educator register, a unified Working with Children Check across states, and a national register of early childhood workers employment history. Authorities have released the details of all 20 childcare centres where Brown worked, including the dates of his employment. Parents and caregivers of 1200 children have been directed to have their kids tested for sexually transmitted infections out of an 'abundance of caution'.
The Age
05-07-2025
- The Age
Inside the life of alleged Melbourne childcare rapist Joshua Brown
Even as a teenager, Joshua Brown knew his future lay in childcare. In his final three years of high school, he was already studying early childhood education at TAFE, fast-tracking his path to a job only weeks after graduation. Working at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne, Brown apparently attracted no notice from regulators for almost a decade until he was charged with 70 counts of child sex abuse, including rape, this year. When police raided the 26-year-old's home in Point Cook in May, he had a valid working with children check and no criminal record. Minutes down the road from his house were his old Catholic schools, as well as the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre, where it's alleged he abused at least eight babies and toddlers and contaminated children's food with bodily fluids. Brown's former classmates at Emmanuel College were shocked when the news broke on Tuesday. They described a 'loner' in high school with few friends but no obvious concerns. Few people wanted to comment, and Brown's social media presence appeared to have been wiped clean since his arrest in May. Brown grew up in Point Cook and remained in the area in a rented home that he shared with a male housemate and a cat. It is now sitting vacant. Nearby were at least five of the childcare centres where he worked, though authorities are still scrambling to update his full employment history, after this masthead revealed it was wider than first released publicly to families. Brown was easily recognisable to parents for his distinctive Celtic arm tattoos and ginger-coloured hair, which he often dyed different colours. Some families spoke of his easy laughter. He worked at large childcare chains G8 Education and Affinity Education and often did short-stint relief work at other centres.
Sydney Morning Herald
03-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Who is Joshua Brown, the alleged Melbourne childcare rapist?
Even as a teenager, Joshua Brown knew his future lay in childcare. In his final three years of high school, he was already studying early childhood education at TAFE, fast-tracking his path to a job only weeks after graduation. Working at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne, Brown apparently attracted no notice from regulators for almost a decade until he was charged with 70 counts of child sex abuse, including rape, this year. When police raided the 26-year-old's home in Point Cook in May, he had a valid working with children check and no criminal record. Minutes down the road from his house were his old Catholic schools, as well as the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre, where it's alleged he abused at least eight babies and toddlers and contaminated children's food with bodily fluids. Brown's former classmates at Emmanuel College were shocked when the news broke on Tuesday. They described a 'loner' in high school with few friends but no obvious concerns. Few people wanted to comment, and Brown's social media presence appeared to have been wiped clean since his arrest in May. Brown grew up in Point Cook and remained in the area in a rented home which he shared with a male housemate and a cat, which is now sitting vacant. Nearby were at least five of the childcare centres where he worked, though authorities are still scrambling to update his full employment history, after this masthead revealed it was wider than first released publicly to families. Brown was easily recognisable to parents for his distinctive Celtic arm tattoos and ginger-coloured hair, which he often dyed different colours. Some families spoke of his easy laughter. He worked at large childcare chains G8 Education and Affinity Education and often did short-stint relief work at other centres.
