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The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- The Advertiser
Stop the hand-wringing. Get men out of primary roles in childcare
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Before you look away because the issue is too sickening and confronting to contemplate, can we at least agree on one thing? A child's safety is non-negotiable. That's where we draw the line, don't we? Simple. Clear-cut. Inarguable. So why on earth do we continue risking the health and lives of Australian children by allowing men to have primary roles as caregivers in our childcare system? Uncomfortable now? Feel free to look away. But given the recent spate of horrifying incidents in Australian childcare centres, culminating in the charging of Melbourne man Joshua Dale Brown with more than 70 offences involving the sexual abuse of children, your discomfort in no way compares to the crisis in our childcare sector. Last week, authorities urged the parents of 1200 children who attended centres where Brown worked over an eight-year span to have their kids tested for sexually transmitted infections. Last November childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith was sentenced to life after pleading guilty to more than 300 child sexual abuse charges. Earlier this year the NSW Parliament was told of numerous instances of babies and toddlers being kicked, dragged, force-fed, used as mops and, in one instance, slapped repeatedly by a laughing care worker. Those are just a few examples in a long and ugly list of unfathomable cruelty and predatory acts committed at childcare centres around the country. The common link? The overwhelming number of offenders are male. As governments reacted belatedly last week with promises of reform - and the industry was forced to divert its eyes from its profit margins to costly safety overhauls - one sensible voice rose above the choir of hand-wringers warning against "knee-jerk reactions". "Men have no place in daycare centres, not out of prejudice, but out of a duty to prioritise the safety of children over the optics of equality," said Louise Edmonds, a founder of the Independent Collective of Survivors. "Safeguarding must come before ideology." Edmonds's view - unpopular among many academics and industry specialists - is backed by evidence and commonsense. Paedophilia is a profoundly male affliction. Studies overseas repeatedly show more than 90 per cent of child sexual offences are committed by men. Of the more than 53,000 sexual assault offenders registered by Australian police between 2010 and 2020, over 97 per cent were male. It's also true that the overwhelming majority of male childcare workers (about 3 per cent of Australia's childcare workforce) are not predators but compassionate and dedicated professionals. But if we agree that the safety of children is non-negotiable, any argument about fairness to workers surely takes a back seat when it comes to protecting children who don't have the words to report attacks, or the power to prevent them. How many times do we have to debate this issue? Churches. Schools. Sporting and scouting groups. There is a recognisable pattern to child sexual offences that is so awful, recurrent and bloody obvious that ignoring it amounts to negligence. By all means, overhaul this broken system by tightening working with children rules and reference checks - reforms that clearly should have happened years ago. But determined predators are often charming, meticulous and prepared to go to great lengths to win trust and exploit loopholes. Restricting men from close contact roles in childcare will, of course, come at a cost. No one disputes the importance of male role models in early education. Fewer hands on deck will place greater strain on an already understaffed sector. And such a move sends a dismal signal to society about how we view the relationship between men and children. But do those issues outweigh the mounting concerns of parents, let alone the fundamental right of any child to a safe and secure environment at all times? One childcare provider - Inspire Early Learning - this week announced a ban on male workers undertaking nappy changes and toileting duties at 16 centres across Victoria. Louise Edmonds also supports giving parents the right to decide who should be allowed intimate contact with their children in care centres. So let's allow the politicians to prepare legislative changes that could take months and more likely years to be implemented. And let's assume the bureaucrats responsible for the industry will keep their word and introduce new policies to make their industry safer. Meanwhile, restricting men from primary roles as caregivers would certainly restore some faith in a clearly broken system. And faith, like the safety of our children, should also be non-negotiable. HAVE YOUR SAY: Should men be banned or restricted from having primary roles in childcare? Are you a victim of childhood abuse and what impact has it had on your life? What other solutions can you suggest? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Social media algorithms are pushing people towards "extremes" as the nation implements a plan to crack down on anti-Semitism. Australia's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal said "online platforms are major vectors of hate". - Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for Russia to make reparations for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, after the European Court of Human Rights found Moscow responsible for the tragedy. - The culture at the CFMEU must change after the union's members deliberately inflicted abuse against workers, women and children to promote fear and gain power, an administrator says. THEY SAID IT: "Children are like wet cement: whatever falls on them makes an impression." - Haim Ginott, child psychologist. YOU SAID IT: Jenna asked you if you'd ever plotted secret revenge. Have you ever wished the worst on your enemies? Turns out, most of you are as bad as she is. Ian writes: Ah yes. Murderous thoughts. I've wondered how many other people have them. Good to know it's not just me (or (other?) psychopaths) ... How many of us wish the Trump shooter had a better aim? Another Ian reveals his preferred mode of dispatch is the big red button. Current targets? The Orange One, Netanyahu, and Putin. Lai confesses: Do enough solo night shifts and revenge fantasies fill in a fair bit of time. Sue is the type who walks away and cuts herself off from the situation. "Leave it all up to karma," she says. And Lorraine was concerned that Jenna might actually do the deed and not just write about it. Anita says: "Holding vengeful thoughts is normal, Jenna. Killing is not." But Sally was not at all pleased with Jenna's dark humour. "What a stupid and sordid Have Your Say", she writes. This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Before you look away because the issue is too sickening and confronting to contemplate, can we at least agree on one thing? A child's safety is non-negotiable. That's where we draw the line, don't we? Simple. Clear-cut. Inarguable. So why on earth do we continue risking the health and lives of Australian children by allowing men to have primary roles as caregivers in our childcare system? Uncomfortable now? Feel free to look away. But given the recent spate of horrifying incidents in Australian childcare centres, culminating in the charging of Melbourne man Joshua Dale Brown with more than 70 offences involving the sexual abuse of children, your discomfort in no way compares to the crisis in our childcare sector. Last week, authorities urged the parents of 1200 children who attended centres where Brown worked over an eight-year span to have their kids tested for sexually transmitted infections. Last November childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith was sentenced to life after pleading guilty to more than 300 child sexual abuse charges. Earlier this year the NSW Parliament was told of numerous instances of babies and toddlers being kicked, dragged, force-fed, used as mops and, in one instance, slapped repeatedly by a laughing care worker. Those are just a few examples in a long and ugly list of unfathomable cruelty and predatory acts committed at childcare centres around the country. The common link? The overwhelming number of offenders are male. As governments reacted belatedly last week with promises of reform - and the industry was forced to divert its eyes from its profit margins to costly safety overhauls - one sensible voice rose above the choir of hand-wringers warning against "knee-jerk reactions". "Men have no place in daycare centres, not out of prejudice, but out of a duty to prioritise the safety of children over the optics of equality," said Louise Edmonds, a founder of the Independent Collective of Survivors. "Safeguarding must come before ideology." Edmonds's view - unpopular among many academics and industry specialists - is backed by evidence and commonsense. Paedophilia is a profoundly male affliction. Studies overseas repeatedly show more than 90 per cent of child sexual offences are committed by men. Of the more than 53,000 sexual assault offenders registered by Australian police between 2010 and 2020, over 97 per cent were male. It's also true that the overwhelming majority of male childcare workers (about 3 per cent of Australia's childcare workforce) are not predators but compassionate and dedicated professionals. But if we agree that the safety of children is non-negotiable, any argument about fairness to workers surely takes a back seat when it comes to protecting children who don't have the words to report attacks, or the power to prevent them. How many times do we have to debate this issue? Churches. Schools. Sporting and scouting groups. There is a recognisable pattern to child sexual offences that is so awful, recurrent and bloody obvious that ignoring it amounts to negligence. By all means, overhaul this broken system by tightening working with children rules and reference checks - reforms that clearly should have happened years ago. But determined predators are often charming, meticulous and prepared to go to great lengths to win trust and exploit loopholes. Restricting men from close contact roles in childcare will, of course, come at a cost. No one disputes the importance of male role models in early education. Fewer hands on deck will place greater strain on an already understaffed sector. And such a move sends a dismal signal to society about how we view the relationship between men and children. But do those issues outweigh the mounting concerns of parents, let alone the fundamental right of any child to a safe and secure environment at all times? One childcare provider - Inspire Early Learning - this week announced a ban on male workers undertaking nappy changes and toileting duties at 16 centres across Victoria. Louise Edmonds also supports giving parents the right to decide who should be allowed intimate contact with their children in care centres. So let's allow the politicians to prepare legislative changes that could take months and more likely years to be implemented. And let's assume the bureaucrats responsible for the industry will keep their word and introduce new policies to make their industry safer. Meanwhile, restricting men from primary roles as caregivers would certainly restore some faith in a clearly broken system. And faith, like the safety of our children, should also be non-negotiable. HAVE YOUR SAY: Should men be banned or restricted from having primary roles in childcare? Are you a victim of childhood abuse and what impact has it had on your life? What other solutions can you suggest? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Social media algorithms are pushing people towards "extremes" as the nation implements a plan to crack down on anti-Semitism. Australia's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal said "online platforms are major vectors of hate". - Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for Russia to make reparations for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, after the European Court of Human Rights found Moscow responsible for the tragedy. - The culture at the CFMEU must change after the union's members deliberately inflicted abuse against workers, women and children to promote fear and gain power, an administrator says. THEY SAID IT: "Children are like wet cement: whatever falls on them makes an impression." - Haim Ginott, child psychologist. YOU SAID IT: Jenna asked you if you'd ever plotted secret revenge. Have you ever wished the worst on your enemies? Turns out, most of you are as bad as she is. Ian writes: Ah yes. Murderous thoughts. I've wondered how many other people have them. Good to know it's not just me (or (other?) psychopaths) ... How many of us wish the Trump shooter had a better aim? Another Ian reveals his preferred mode of dispatch is the big red button. Current targets? The Orange One, Netanyahu, and Putin. Lai confesses: Do enough solo night shifts and revenge fantasies fill in a fair bit of time. Sue is the type who walks away and cuts herself off from the situation. "Leave it all up to karma," she says. And Lorraine was concerned that Jenna might actually do the deed and not just write about it. Anita says: "Holding vengeful thoughts is normal, Jenna. Killing is not." But Sally was not at all pleased with Jenna's dark humour. "What a stupid and sordid Have Your Say", she writes. This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Before you look away because the issue is too sickening and confronting to contemplate, can we at least agree on one thing? A child's safety is non-negotiable. That's where we draw the line, don't we? Simple. Clear-cut. Inarguable. So why on earth do we continue risking the health and lives of Australian children by allowing men to have primary roles as caregivers in our childcare system? Uncomfortable now? Feel free to look away. But given the recent spate of horrifying incidents in Australian childcare centres, culminating in the charging of Melbourne man Joshua Dale Brown with more than 70 offences involving the sexual abuse of children, your discomfort in no way compares to the crisis in our childcare sector. Last week, authorities urged the parents of 1200 children who attended centres where Brown worked over an eight-year span to have their kids tested for sexually transmitted infections. Last November childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith was sentenced to life after pleading guilty to more than 300 child sexual abuse charges. Earlier this year the NSW Parliament was told of numerous instances of babies and toddlers being kicked, dragged, force-fed, used as mops and, in one instance, slapped repeatedly by a laughing care worker. Those are just a few examples in a long and ugly list of unfathomable cruelty and predatory acts committed at childcare centres around the country. The common link? The overwhelming number of offenders are male. As governments reacted belatedly last week with promises of reform - and the industry was forced to divert its eyes from its profit margins to costly safety overhauls - one sensible voice rose above the choir of hand-wringers warning against "knee-jerk reactions". "Men have no place in daycare centres, not out of prejudice, but out of a duty to prioritise the safety of children over the optics of equality," said Louise Edmonds, a founder of the Independent Collective of Survivors. "Safeguarding must come before ideology." Edmonds's view - unpopular among many academics and industry specialists - is backed by evidence and commonsense. Paedophilia is a profoundly male affliction. Studies overseas repeatedly show more than 90 per cent of child sexual offences are committed by men. Of the more than 53,000 sexual assault offenders registered by Australian police between 2010 and 2020, over 97 per cent were male. It's also true that the overwhelming majority of male childcare workers (about 3 per cent of Australia's childcare workforce) are not predators but compassionate and dedicated professionals. But if we agree that the safety of children is non-negotiable, any argument about fairness to workers surely takes a back seat when it comes to protecting children who don't have the words to report attacks, or the power to prevent them. How many times do we have to debate this issue? Churches. Schools. Sporting and scouting groups. There is a recognisable pattern to child sexual offences that is so awful, recurrent and bloody obvious that ignoring it amounts to negligence. By all means, overhaul this broken system by tightening working with children rules and reference checks - reforms that clearly should have happened years ago. But determined predators are often charming, meticulous and prepared to go to great lengths to win trust and exploit loopholes. Restricting men from close contact roles in childcare will, of course, come at a cost. No one disputes the importance of male role models in early education. Fewer hands on deck will place greater strain on an already understaffed sector. And such a move sends a dismal signal to society about how we view the relationship between men and children. But do those issues outweigh the mounting concerns of parents, let alone the fundamental right of any child to a safe and secure environment at all times? One childcare provider - Inspire Early Learning - this week announced a ban on male workers undertaking nappy changes and toileting duties at 16 centres across Victoria. Louise Edmonds also supports giving parents the right to decide who should be allowed intimate contact with their children in care centres. So let's allow the politicians to prepare legislative changes that could take months and more likely years to be implemented. And let's assume the bureaucrats responsible for the industry will keep their word and introduce new policies to make their industry safer. Meanwhile, restricting men from primary roles as caregivers would certainly restore some faith in a clearly broken system. And faith, like the safety of our children, should also be non-negotiable. HAVE YOUR SAY: Should men be banned or restricted from having primary roles in childcare? Are you a victim of childhood abuse and what impact has it had on your life? What other solutions can you suggest? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Social media algorithms are pushing people towards "extremes" as the nation implements a plan to crack down on anti-Semitism. Australia's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal said "online platforms are major vectors of hate". - Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for Russia to make reparations for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, after the European Court of Human Rights found Moscow responsible for the tragedy. - The culture at the CFMEU must change after the union's members deliberately inflicted abuse against workers, women and children to promote fear and gain power, an administrator says. THEY SAID IT: "Children are like wet cement: whatever falls on them makes an impression." - Haim Ginott, child psychologist. YOU SAID IT: Jenna asked you if you'd ever plotted secret revenge. Have you ever wished the worst on your enemies? Turns out, most of you are as bad as she is. Ian writes: Ah yes. Murderous thoughts. I've wondered how many other people have them. Good to know it's not just me (or (other?) psychopaths) ... How many of us wish the Trump shooter had a better aim? Another Ian reveals his preferred mode of dispatch is the big red button. Current targets? The Orange One, Netanyahu, and Putin. Lai confesses: Do enough solo night shifts and revenge fantasies fill in a fair bit of time. Sue is the type who walks away and cuts herself off from the situation. "Leave it all up to karma," she says. And Lorraine was concerned that Jenna might actually do the deed and not just write about it. Anita says: "Holding vengeful thoughts is normal, Jenna. Killing is not." But Sally was not at all pleased with Jenna's dark humour. "What a stupid and sordid Have Your Say", she writes. This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Before you look away because the issue is too sickening and confronting to contemplate, can we at least agree on one thing? A child's safety is non-negotiable. That's where we draw the line, don't we? Simple. Clear-cut. Inarguable. So why on earth do we continue risking the health and lives of Australian children by allowing men to have primary roles as caregivers in our childcare system? Uncomfortable now? Feel free to look away. But given the recent spate of horrifying incidents in Australian childcare centres, culminating in the charging of Melbourne man Joshua Dale Brown with more than 70 offences involving the sexual abuse of children, your discomfort in no way compares to the crisis in our childcare sector. Last week, authorities urged the parents of 1200 children who attended centres where Brown worked over an eight-year span to have their kids tested for sexually transmitted infections. Last November childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith was sentenced to life after pleading guilty to more than 300 child sexual abuse charges. Earlier this year the NSW Parliament was told of numerous instances of babies and toddlers being kicked, dragged, force-fed, used as mops and, in one instance, slapped repeatedly by a laughing care worker. Those are just a few examples in a long and ugly list of unfathomable cruelty and predatory acts committed at childcare centres around the country. The common link? The overwhelming number of offenders are male. As governments reacted belatedly last week with promises of reform - and the industry was forced to divert its eyes from its profit margins to costly safety overhauls - one sensible voice rose above the choir of hand-wringers warning against "knee-jerk reactions". "Men have no place in daycare centres, not out of prejudice, but out of a duty to prioritise the safety of children over the optics of equality," said Louise Edmonds, a founder of the Independent Collective of Survivors. "Safeguarding must come before ideology." Edmonds's view - unpopular among many academics and industry specialists - is backed by evidence and commonsense. Paedophilia is a profoundly male affliction. Studies overseas repeatedly show more than 90 per cent of child sexual offences are committed by men. Of the more than 53,000 sexual assault offenders registered by Australian police between 2010 and 2020, over 97 per cent were male. It's also true that the overwhelming majority of male childcare workers (about 3 per cent of Australia's childcare workforce) are not predators but compassionate and dedicated professionals. But if we agree that the safety of children is non-negotiable, any argument about fairness to workers surely takes a back seat when it comes to protecting children who don't have the words to report attacks, or the power to prevent them. How many times do we have to debate this issue? Churches. Schools. Sporting and scouting groups. There is a recognisable pattern to child sexual offences that is so awful, recurrent and bloody obvious that ignoring it amounts to negligence. By all means, overhaul this broken system by tightening working with children rules and reference checks - reforms that clearly should have happened years ago. But determined predators are often charming, meticulous and prepared to go to great lengths to win trust and exploit loopholes. Restricting men from close contact roles in childcare will, of course, come at a cost. No one disputes the importance of male role models in early education. Fewer hands on deck will place greater strain on an already understaffed sector. And such a move sends a dismal signal to society about how we view the relationship between men and children. But do those issues outweigh the mounting concerns of parents, let alone the fundamental right of any child to a safe and secure environment at all times? One childcare provider - Inspire Early Learning - this week announced a ban on male workers undertaking nappy changes and toileting duties at 16 centres across Victoria. Louise Edmonds also supports giving parents the right to decide who should be allowed intimate contact with their children in care centres. So let's allow the politicians to prepare legislative changes that could take months and more likely years to be implemented. And let's assume the bureaucrats responsible for the industry will keep their word and introduce new policies to make their industry safer. Meanwhile, restricting men from primary roles as caregivers would certainly restore some faith in a clearly broken system. And faith, like the safety of our children, should also be non-negotiable. HAVE YOUR SAY: Should men be banned or restricted from having primary roles in childcare? Are you a victim of childhood abuse and what impact has it had on your life? What other solutions can you suggest? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Social media algorithms are pushing people towards "extremes" as the nation implements a plan to crack down on anti-Semitism. Australia's special envoy to combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal said "online platforms are major vectors of hate". - Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for Russia to make reparations for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, after the European Court of Human Rights found Moscow responsible for the tragedy. - The culture at the CFMEU must change after the union's members deliberately inflicted abuse against workers, women and children to promote fear and gain power, an administrator says. THEY SAID IT: "Children are like wet cement: whatever falls on them makes an impression." - Haim Ginott, child psychologist. YOU SAID IT: Jenna asked you if you'd ever plotted secret revenge. Have you ever wished the worst on your enemies? Turns out, most of you are as bad as she is. Ian writes: Ah yes. Murderous thoughts. I've wondered how many other people have them. Good to know it's not just me (or (other?) psychopaths) ... How many of us wish the Trump shooter had a better aim? Another Ian reveals his preferred mode of dispatch is the big red button. Current targets? The Orange One, Netanyahu, and Putin. Lai confesses: Do enough solo night shifts and revenge fantasies fill in a fair bit of time. Sue is the type who walks away and cuts herself off from the situation. "Leave it all up to karma," she says. And Lorraine was concerned that Jenna might actually do the deed and not just write about it. Anita says: "Holding vengeful thoughts is normal, Jenna. Killing is not." But Sally was not at all pleased with Jenna's dark humour. "What a stupid and sordid Have Your Say", she writes.
7NEWS
07-07-2025
- 7NEWS
Male educators ‘feel unsupported' by sector leaders amid calls for bans in wake of horrific child abuse claims
An advocate for Australia's male childcare employees says men in the industry are experiencing an 'existential crisis' after horrific child abuse allegations sparked calls for them to be banned from working with kids. The federal government has vowed to fast-track improvements to safety standards after it was reported Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was accused of more than 70 offences against eight children aged under two at a Melbourne childcare centre. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: The Opposition's formal pledge to fast-track childcare safety measures. The state and federal opposition have vowed to support reforms that help protect children. The charges against Brown have prompted calls for change, with Independent Collective of Survivors founder Louise Edmonds even suggesting men be banned from intimate childcare spaces including nappy changing rooms, sleep quarters and toilets. 'We actually need to do something a little bit more drastic than has been happening in the past,' she said. A petition calling for male workers to be restricted from kindergartens and childcare centres altogether has garnered 811 signatures since it was launched last week. Men make up about 3 per cent of an early childhood education workforce that is short 21,000 staff across Australia. Ramesh Shrestha, co-founder and president of Thriving Educators Aspiring Male Professionals, an association that represents men in the childhood sector, said 'male educators are going through an existential crisis' and nine in 10 felt unsupported by industry leaders or their employer. 'Hard-working, ethical male educators stand by stronger child safety standards and screening,' Shrestha told 'Depending on what qualifications (Cert III to a bachelors degree), it can take six months to four years (to be trained). 'Add decades of experience, passion and hard work, people fail to realise that this is more than a job for dedicated male educators. 'To get (public) support would mean that they are still seen, what they are doing matters, (that) there's still hope for them in the sector, and they get to keep doing what they are passionate about — educating the future generations.' Ban is 'discrimination' On Friday, private provider Inspire Early Learning Journey announced male educators would no longer change nappies or be assigned to toilet duties at its 16 Victorian centres. Brown did not work at any of Inspire's locations. Shrestha, who also trains early childhood educators, said child safety was paramount but felt the ban was 'discrimination'. 'The practical implications — I don't think they have thought about that fully because that means extra workload on female staff,' he told 'When we do that, what are we teaching children? It's going back to old gender norms. 'It's not where we want to go. It's important no roles are related to gender — anyone can be a doctor, a firefighter, a police officer.' Child safety expert and former child abuse detective Kristi McVee said Inspire Early Learning Journey's ban was a band-aid 'to the actual problem of the lack of supervision in early childhood education'. 'They're making it a gendered issue versus the fact that there are predators in both genders,' McVee told 7NEWS. Shrestha said the stigma around males in the industry — including the 'side-eyes from colleagues and parents' — had left many thinking about a career switch. 'The early childhood sector is one of inclusion and support and discrimination against children and educators is not in the best interest of children,' Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) vice president Nesha Hutchinson told Hutchinson said parents are incredibly upset by the allegations against Brown, 'and they deserve to be'. 'As a sector, we need to be better,' she said. The federal government does not believe a gender ban is the solution to better safety. Hutchinson said the ACA was keen to see a nationalised working with vulnerable people check system because 'no state talks with each other' at the moment, and a national employment register. Speaking generally, federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said 'there are loopholes in the system which allow predators to prey on children and it is just so horrific'. Federal education minister Jason Clare has promised legislation that will cut subsidy funding to centres 'that aren't up to scratch'. Operators that persistently fail to meet minimum standards would also be prevented from opening new centres. The Victorian opposition has called for an independent regulator so 'there is someone looking into this sector every single day'. The Victorian government will consider making CCTV mandatory as part of a review. Shrestha said he supported the use of cameras and restrictions on staff carrying mobile devices, said there was a need for better worker-children ratios, and called for tougher screening for employees.
Perth Now
05-07-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Childcare centres' big call on male staff
Male educators will reportedly no longer be involved in changing nappies or toileting duties at a string of Victorian childcare centres. Inspire Early Learning – which operates 16 childcare centres in the state – sent a letter to parents on Friday announcing the changes, as per 7News. Chief curriculum and quality officer Eleinna Anderson told families the changes were to ensure they remained 'sensitive and responsive to family needs', and that male staff would still play a 'vital role' in activities and classroom preparation among other duties. 'The wellbeing and safety of your children are at the heart of everything we do,' she said. 'We're writing to share a few important updates to our guidelines around staff interactions with children and team responsibilities – changes made with careful thought and a continued commitment to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all.' Police allege Joshua Brown sexually assaulted young children, produced child abuse material and contaminated food with bodily fluids among other charges. Picture Supplied., Credit: Supplied It has been reported educators have also been told to refrain from kissing or having other unnecessary contact with children, and to seek consent if holding hands or a gentle hug is needed. It comes after childcare worker Joshua Brown was charged with more than 70 offences, after he allegedly abused eight children at a childcare centre in Point Cook, Melbourne. It is alleged some children were as young as five months. The families of 1200 children have been directed to have their children tested for sexually transmitted infections. Police confirmed they are investigating Mr Brown's employment at 20 Melbourne childcare centres and had a suppression order on his name removed to inform families with children at the affected centres to get tested. Inspire Early Learning is not among the centres Mr Brown is said to have worked at. Independent Collective of Survivors founder Louise Edmonds called for a ban on male childcare workers following the shocking allegations against Melbourne educator Joshua Brown. Credit: Supplied The allegations against Mr Brown sparked an immediate reaction from authorities and advocates around the country. Child abuse victims' advocate Louise Edmonds, a founding member of the independent Collective of Survivors, was among the most prominent voices calling for men to be banned from working at childcare centres. 'This is the third case of huge amounts of children being exposed to alleged pedophiles and alleged child sex abuses in a childcare centre,' she said on Today. 'We actually have to look at the safety first and foremost of our most vulnerable citizens, which are our children, and a lot of them are voiceless. 'So children start communicating well at around two years old. The children under two years old, they cannot speak. 'The sad reality is there's so much lived experience and evidence and data around child sex offenders, and 97 per cent of them are male. 'And this is a scary topic and a lot of people, we don't want to talk about it because it's so horrific when it comes to the abuse of children.' Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said he would introduce legislation to strengthen working with children checks. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia Politicians have vowed to introduce new laws to strengthen working with children checks, that were recommended a decade ago during the 2015 Royal Commission into Institutionalised Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said he would introduce legislation to allow fraud investigators to conduct random, unannounced visits at childcare centres without a warrant, and without the need to be accompanied by police. He would also introduce laws to allow the federal government, which currently provides $16bn of annual funding to centres, to scrap payments to places which do not meet standards. State and federal ministers will discuss how CCTV cameras can be used to monitor childcare centres and Attorneys-General will work out better ways to share information.
Sky News AU
03-07-2025
- Sky News AU
Karl Stefanovic clashes with advocate calling for males to be banned from childcare centres after man charged with disturbing offences
Today Show host Karl Stefanovic has clashed with an advocate calling for male staff to be banned from working in childcare centres. The on-air debate comes after Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was charged by police on Tuesday with sexually abusing children at a Melbourne childcare centre. The 70 alleged offences Mr Brown has been charged with have sparked a controversial debate on whether men should be allowed to work in childcare centres. Child abuse victims' advocate Louise Edmonds who is the founding member of the Independent Collective of Survivors clashed with Stefanovic over the controversial call to ban men from working in childcare centres. 'Banning male workers is a pretty extreme call, isn't it?' Stefanovic asked. Ms Edmonds conceded it was 'extreme'. 'But the thing is, we're now seeing this is the third case of huge amounts of children being exposed to alleged pedophiles and alleged child sex abuses in a childcare centre,' she said. She noted that men made up fewer than 8 per cent of the childcare industry. Stefanovic hit back and insisted men 'have a right to work in that area'. 'And so many of them are dedicated. The perception is already hard enough for them. And when a story like this happens, it makes it even more difficult for them. They're dedicated professionals,' he said. 'Yes they are,' Ms Edmonds said. 'And without, you know, staining all the good men who are in there wanting to be positive role models for the young boys who are in daycare centres, there are some measures that can be taken. 'We actually have to look at the safety first and foremost of our most vulnerable citizens, which are our children, and a lot of them are voiceless. 'So children start communicating well at around two years old. The children under two years old, they cannot speak." Stefanovic argued it was a 'sensitive topic and protection of kids is the utmost importance, but when you're talking about inequality, banning men just for being men, that's the very definition of it'. Ms Edmonds stood by her word and said there is a "sad reality" where there is so much lived experience and evidence and data around child sex offenders, and 97 per cent of them are male. 'And this is a scary topic and a lot of people, we don't want to talk about it because it's so horrific when it comes to the abuse of children," she said. The advocate said a measure that could be put in place 'literally overnight' would be a waiver for parents to opt-in or out of having a male carer look after their child. On Wednesday, Today Extra host Sylvia Jeffreys called for the Albanese government to ensure this issue is at the top of their agenda. 'The parents who are going through this this morning, it needs to be at the top of ... the federal government's agenda today and tomorrow and every day until we see change,' Jeffreys said. Mr Brown, from Point Cook, was charged with sexual activity in presence of a child under 16, sexual assault of a child under 16 and possessing child abuse material for use through a carriage service. Police are alleging the children targeted were aged between five months and two years and worked at 20 childcare centres since entering the industry in 2017. Mr Brown has remained in custody since his arrest in May. All the centres he previously worked at have been compiled into a list and released to the public in what police describe as a move made "out of an abundance of caution". The Victorian Department of Health has also activated a public health response, urging parents to have their children screened for infectious diseases, depending on their potential exposure during the period of alleged offending. A parent of one of Mr Brown's possible alleged victims spoke to the ABC about the 'sickening' moment they were informed their child may have been abused. When the child's mother received the email notifying her of the alleged crimes her heart 'just fell through my stomach'. '(It's) heartbreaking. It's just these pure little innocent kids,' she told ABC's 7.30. 'My kids were enrolled at one of the daycare centres that was impacted. Thankfully, it was only one day that he was at that centre.' Meanwhile, a second man, Michael Simon Wilson, was charged as part of a major probe into child sex abuse in Melbourne. He is reportedly known to Mr Brown and is facing 45 charges including rape and possession of child abuse material. Mr Wilson's charges are not related to any childcare centre and involve different alleged victims. Fresh details emerged on Thursday after Mr Wilson was reportedly seeking threesomes on a casual sex site before he was arrested as part of a significant investigation. Both Mr Wilson and Mr Brown are due to face Melbourne Magistrates' Court on September 15.
Sydney Morning Herald
02-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
With more allegations of sexual abuse at childcare centres, is banning men the answer?
As horrified parents grapple with the latest sexual abuse scandal at a childcare centre, which has forced 1200 preschoolers to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, an abuse survivors' collective has called for a ban on male workers. Louise Edmonds, a founding member of the Independent Collective of Survivors, says the safety of children must be prioritised over all else. 'With growing evidence and lived experience pointing to the disproportionate involvement of men in cases of child sexual abuse, we must ask difficult questions,' she said. 'In my view, men have no place in daycare centres, not out of prejudice, but out of a duty to prioritise the safety of children over the optics of equality. Safeguarding must come before ideology.' Others argue a ban is not the answer, saying sexual offending – which, crime statistics show, is primarily perpetrated by men – is not the only type of abuse plaguing childcare centres, and that the system must be strengthened to ensure all kinds of child maltreatment are either prevented, or quickly identified, reported and acted upon. Edmonds' comments come as NSW pledges a trial of CCTV in childcare centres and moves to ban people who have been refused a Working With Children Check (WWCC) from appealing the decision. Concerns about safety in the early childhood sector have intensified amid a growing number of serious allegations against childcare workers. Loading In separate incidents over a single month last year, three NSW childcare workers were charged with sexual touching of children or, in one of the cases, child abuse. Last November, Australia's worst paedophile – childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith – was sentenced to life in prison for 307 sexual offences against 73 victims over almost 20 years. This week, two men, one of whom was a childcare worker, have been charged with serious abuse of young children in Victoria. Joshua Dale Brown is accused of abusing eight children at different centres in Melbourne, and police said he and the other man were known to each other.
