An overhaul to working with children checks is among the safety changes desperately needed to protect kids from predators lurking in Australian childcare centres.
That’s the verdict from leading advocates for children and abuse survivors after a childcare worker was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight children aged under two.
Charges laid against Joshua Dale Brown, 26, include sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12 and producing child abuse material.
He worked at 20 childcare centres, but the allegations relate to his time at one site at Point Cook, in Melbourne’s west, between April 2022 and January 2023.
Brown was not known to police until the start of the investigation, there were no formal complaints against him and he had a valid working with children check.
Those screenings are widely used around Australia to allow adults to work with children, but they are in urgent need of an overhaul, according to Sexual Assault Services Victoria chief executive Kathleen Maltzahn.
“We can’t rely just on working with children checks because they only work if someone has already been found guilty of child abuse,” she told AAP.
“Evidence of abuse or concerning behaviour that hasn’t resulted in criminal charges or disciplinary action (should be) considered.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan committed to strengthening any safeguards needed but the allegations have raised broader concerns.
Industry body Early Learning Association Australia and charity Act for Kids both pushed for changes to be rolled out nationwide.
The charity said working with children screening requirements were inconsistent between Australian jurisdictions and “often put the rights of workers ahead of the rights of children”.
Parent advocate group The Parenthood ramped up calls for a national early childhood commission to ensure appropriate oversight, quality and accountability throughout the sector.
State, territory and federal education ministers recently backed a national overhaul of childcare safety rules, including tougher regulations around photography and mandatory reporting.
But advocates want changes to go further, with Ms Maltzahn calling for a rethink of how centres approach children’s bathrooms and the potential introduction of a national register for staff.
Victorian Childrens Minister Lizzie Blandthorn said national reforms were moving too slowly and her state would develop its own register of workers.
“Teachers are already required to be registered with the Victorian Institute of Teachers, (early childhood) educators are not, so there are things that we are working with the Commonwealth on moving forward,” she said.
Legislation that would allow the government to cut subsidies to centres due to safety breaches is due to be introduced to federal parliament within months.
Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh said the federal government supported Victoria and NSW pushing ahead with their own reforms while the Commonwealth worked with all jurisdictions on changes, including nationwide registration.
National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds said Australia has been quite slow to minimise risks to children and called for greater training.
“We need to strengthen the regulators, they need to be visiting more often,” she said.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028