‘Dark cloud': Parents of children face agonising wait for results of STD test after arrest of childcare worker and accused predator Joshua Brown

News.com.au

14-07-2025

Tormented parents of toddlers potentially exposed to sexually transmitted diseases say that even a clean bill of health won't relieve the weight on their hearts, knowing their children were in the orbit of accused abuser Joshua Brown.
Almost two weeks after police revealed Brown was behind bars as he awaits trial for allegedly abusing young children in his care, many mums and dads are still in an agonising limbo.
One mum told news.com.au that even if the test results come back negative for her daughter, 'the damage is done' emotionally and her family will have 'a lot of work to do mentally' to put the ordeal behind them.
'The uncertainty and anxiety will always linger now,' the devastated mum said, revealing her test results are due back any day.
'Even when the urine tests come back negative, which I'm hoping and praying they do, this will always be a dark cloud hanging over our heads and we will never have complete peace of mind or certainty over what exposure Joshua Brown had with our kids,' she said.
Brown, 26, is due to appear in court in September to face more than 70 charges, including sexually penetrating a child under 12, attempting to sexually penetrate a child under 12, sexually assaulting a child under 16, and producing child abuse material.
The charges relate to alleged incidents at the G8 Education owned Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook in Victoria where Mr Brown, 26, allegedly abused eight children between April 2022 and January 2023.
Brown is also charged with contaminating food with bodily fluids.
He was working in the kitchen at a Melbourne childcare centre days before his arrest - assisting in the kitchen at Papilio Early Learning Centre in Essendon, supporting meal preparations while centre chefs were absent.
From the day police announced Brown was in custody, parents have been scrambling to understand whether their children at centres across Victoria have come into contact with him.
While Victoria Police published a list of 20 centres, other centres came to light in following days. Some remain off the list but centres have confirmed Brown was on staff.
A mother from a Milestones centre contacted news.com.au after learning Brown was at the centre her children attended on December 5, 2024, thanks to Storypark, the platform used for parents to see updates from the centre on their child's day.
'Our kids were there that day too. I feel so sick and upset, that's two days we now know of,' she said.
'Will there be more days discovered and who will tell us? Or do we have to investigate with the news to be our people who find the truth?
'It's sad to think parents are finding out this stuff themselves with the support of the news people, rather than the centre being proactive in telling us.
'I have had other parents speak to me worried sick wanting to know exact dates this person was present at the child care centre. Surely they can tell us - pay slips or records surely.'
A father told news.com.au he was piecing together his own child's visits and trying to match up the dates, 'but also trying to tell ourselves nothing happened but it is becoming sickening'.
Another mum said 'I can't sleep at night due to the uncertainty. My heart goes out to the families and children who have been identified and directly affected.
'I feel for all the families and kids, it is such an uncertain time and my main feeling is a mix of confusion, helplessness and fear'
All parents spoken to by news.com.au agreed that 'more needs to be done' to stop child predators from working in the industry.
'A working with children check can be done online in a few minutes. All it really proves is that the child predator has never been identified or caught,' one mother said.
'I feel stronger measures need to be set in place that are systemic overhauls and changes from the centres all having CCTV cameras in every room, locked kitchen areas, no men changing nappies, phones taken off staff and stored in an area where they can only access if on break and away from children, minimum two people in room at all times whether the kids are inside having a nap or playing outside.
'I think the owners of these centres have to take more ownership and accountability for hiring staff. The state and federal governments need to ensure security is tighter at these places than it is up at Parliament House' to avoid 'wolves in sheep's clothing' getting in.
The sector has welcomed the government's moves to strengthen protections, with widespread recognition that additional safeguards are needed to restore trust and give parents confidence.
The three largest operators – Goodstart, G8 and Affinity – have each moved swiftly to announce and implement measures that go beyond the government's immediate requirements. Together, these providers account for more than 30 per cent of the long day care sector nationally.
Affinity's national rollout of CCTV and secure lock boxes across all its centres, is expected to cost around $10 million and is implemented immediately.