Big childcare provider quiet on Brown shock

Perth Now

17-07-2025

A major childcare company has so far kept quiet about how it might respond to this month's shock Joshua Brown allegations, even as other large providers flag major changes to child safety.
Nido Education, an ASX-listed $150m provider with more than 100 centres nationwide, has not produced a public statement on the horrific child sex abuse allegations against Mr Brown since they first broke on July 1.
Victoria Police allege the educator sexually abused eight children while working for G8 Education, a different childcare provider, at the Creative Gardens Point Cook centre between October 2021 and February 2024.
Mr Brown worked in at least 23 centres across Victoria between January 2017 and May 2025, including a short stint at a Nido centre in Werribee between June 21 and July 14 in 2021.
The allegations against Mr Brown are for alleged offending that occurred at Creative Gardens.
There is no allegation that Mr Brown offended against children while working for Nido.
The allegations, which include alleged offending against victims as young as five months, have rocked the nation, and providers have now flagged dramatic changes to their operations.
On July 8, G8 said it would accelerate the rollout of CCTV cameras to all of its more than 400 centres and give parents greater choice over their children's care, including preferences on which educators support their child's personal care routines, including nappy changes and toileting. Alleged pedophile predator Joshua Brown worked at 23 centres across Melbourne. Picture Supplied., Credit: Supplied
On July 9, Affinity, a private-equity backed provider, announced it would fast-track the installation of CCTV across all of its centres 'to enhance supervision and safety' and seek parental preferences on who helps their child with toileting or nappy changes.
Affinity said it would also review centre layouts 'to identify and rectify blind spots as well as auditing visibility into all care centres' and conduct formal consultations with its workers, parents and regulators on 'additional safety measures'.
On July 10, Only About Children released a statement to NewsWire outlining the 'ongoing work' it had taken to sharpen child safety in the past 12 months, including enhanced recruitment screening, additional safeguarding and incident reporting training for all campus directors and greater oversight of casual employees.
'Beyond policies and training, we take a proactive approach to child safety education,' an Only About Children spokeswoman told NewsWire.
'Over the past year, we have introduced Bunji, our health and safety mascot, as part of a developmentally appropriate body safety program embedded in our curriculum.
'Bunji plays a central role in helping children settle into care, understand safe practices and navigate big emotions in a friendly and age-appropriate way.'
The provider also said it was 'assessing' the role of CCTV across a small number of its centres.
'While CCTV may offer additional visibility in certain situations, our experience so far has shown it is not a stand-alone solution,' she said.
'There are important considerations regarding privacy, clarity of footage and the expectations of both families and educators.
'Any future decisions will be guided by campus-specific safeguarding risk assessments. 'These assessments help us identify and prioritise risk areas and determine the most effective responses.
'Our focus remains on implementing measures that support educators in providing proactive supervision, visibility and audibility in real time, rather than relying solely on reactive tools such as CCTV.'
Mr Brown worked at Affinity centres and at Only About Children's Williamstown centre from October 28 2020 to March 29, 2021.
There is no allegation that Mr Brown offended against children while working for Affinity or Only About Children.
NewsWire contacted Nido last week seeking information on any changes the company might make to child safety in light of the allegations and why it had not informed the public about Mr Brown's short interaction with its Werribee centre, but the company declined to comment. Education Minister Jason Clare has flagged a raft of new legislation on child safety in childcare in the upcoming parliament. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
The ABC also revealed on Thursdaythat Nido had sacked Mr Brown during his probation period at Werribee for breaching the company's internal policies.
Nido acknowledged the sacking in a statement to the ABC.
Nido operates more than 100 childcare and kindergartens across NSW, the ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
In its full-year results for 2024, Nido reported $166.8m in revenues and $19.5m in net profits after tax.
'Nido anticipates that 2025 will bring significant positive changes to the sector, as both major political parties recognise the necessity for substantial investment in the early education sector,' the results report, released in February, states.
The company also flagged a lift in demand for childcare services into 2026.
'With child care being central to campaign themes, there is potential for further policies aimed at reducing access costs for families,' the report states.
'Such initiatives could significantly alleviate cost-of-living pressures and create pathways for families to enter or re-enter the workforce. These measures are expected to add considerably to demand.'
Governments are moving to implant large-scale changes around child safety into the sector.
For one, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has flagged changes to background checks for childcare workers.
Mr Brown held a working with children check during his time as an educator. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan ordered a snap review into childcare safety following the July 1 allegations against Mr Brown. NewsWire / Josie Hayden Credit: News Corp Australia
The Victorian government, meanwhile, has moved to ban mobile phones for workers at centres, with the ban set to come into effect in September.
Providers will be fined $50,000 for breaching the ban.
It has also launched a 'short and sharp' review into childcare safety, headed by former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill, with a report expected back on August 15.
The expected ramp up in safety regulations comes as the sector struggles with surging demand and a dearth of available staff.
In a United Workers Union survey of childcare workers, launched on June 10, some 77 per cent of educators said they were operating below minimum staffing requirements.
Further, some 77 per cent said they had come to or stayed at work while sick because of understaffing and 74 per cent said they had stayed back at work to compensate for staff shortages.
'Partly because of understaffing, we see a real churn of staff moving through centres and that's when we don't have that safe, quality environment we need,' UWU early education director Carolyn Smith said.
'This survey reveals it is essential to have long-term staff who are experienced, who are trained and who are confident to raise issues.
'A better early education system requires a national approach in both regulation and funding, and we must listen to educators about what the problems really are.
'We already know the alternative is unacceptable and the cost of failing our children is immeasurable.'
Some 2100 educators have responded to the survey as of last week.