Childcare abuse allegations prompt wider risk warning
Callum Godde |
The case of a childcare worker accused of serially abusing infants has ignited widespread alarm, but a leading voice has issued a stark reminder of the risks that exist far beyond the confines of daycare.
A national debate has raged since Tuesday when it emerged Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences.
The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at a Point Cook facility.
It is estimated at least one sexual misconduct report comes from Australian childcare centres each day on average.
Earlier in the week, after the allegations against Brown came to light, Education Minister Jason Clare said he believed pedophiles were targeting childcare centres.
But Victoria’s acting principal commissioner for children and young people said “sadly” child abuse occurred in many different settings.
“If we’re going to really make a shift on child safety and prevention of abuse, we really have to be open to having hard discussions about where abuse happens and who harms children and the trust that they gain,” Meena Singh told AAP.
In Victoria, organisations that work with children must notify the Commission for Children and Young People of alleged abuse by staff and volunteers under the state’s reportable conduct scheme.
The commission’s data shows 28 per cent of reportable allegations in 2023/24 were connected to early childhood education options such as long day care, preschool or kindergarten and outside-school-hours care.
Schools and other education settings were responsible for 40 per cent, and another 21 per cent came from out-of-home care, which includes residential, kinship and foster care.
Almost one in three claims were substantiated.
Sexual misconduct and sexual offence allegations were easily the most common in education settings, followed by early childhood education and out-of-home care (72).
Ms Singh said considerations around the safety of children and young people were not always “front and centre” for some organisations.
“When allegations come up, they’re not being acted upon or there is delays,” she said.
Ms Singh backed a push to move towards a national working with children clearance regime and the introduction of a national childcare sector regulator, declaring “gaps” remain.
“Not every state or territory has child safe conduct standards or a reportable scheme,” she said.
The allegations against Brown, who was not subject to any complaints before his arrest, has spawned a raft of childcare reform promises from federal and state governments.
Federal measures include legislation to cut funding to childcare providers flouting safety and quality obligations, a register of early early educators and shortening the mandatory reporting of abuse complaints from seven days to 24 hours.
NSW will block appeals against working-with-children-check denials and trial CCTV in facilities, while Victoria is considering making the technology mandatory and fast-tracking a ban on phone use in centres.
Queensland has launched an inquiry into its regime for working with children checks.
Meanwhile, precautionary testing for sexually transmitted infections is continuing on 1200 children as authorities review records following reports the alleged pedophile may have worked in the sector longer than first thought.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
AAP
