Latest news with #CreativeGardenEarlyLearning
News.com.au
23-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Labor's childcare bill to give children safety standards they ‘deserve', education minister says
Labor is proposing changes to cut federal funding for childcare providers that 'aren't up to scratch' after horrific allegations of sexual abuse at a centre in Melbourne. Earlier this month, Victoria Police revealed Joshua Dale Brown, 26, had been charged with more than 70 offences, including sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16 and possession of child abuse material. He was a worker at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook and had a working with children check. The alleged abuse sparked national outrage, forcing Labor to act on royal commission recommendations made under the former Coalition government. Education Minister Jason Clare said on Wednesday the legislation aimed to bring about the 'standards that parents need and that our children deserve' by giving the Commonwealth powers 'to cut access to the childcare subsidy for centres that aren't up to scratch'. 'I think the whole country has been sickened and shocked by the (allegations) that have come out of Victoria in the last few weeks, and a lot of work is needed to rebuild trust in a system that parents rely upon every single day,' Mr Clare told reporters. 'The biggest weapon that the Commonwealth has to wield here is the funding that we provide that enables childcare centres to operate – it's something like $16bn a year, and that covers about 70 per cent of the cost of running the average childcare centre. 'Childcare centres can't operate without it and I think it's fair.' He went on to say 'most mums and dads will think it's fair that if centres are repeatedly not meeting the sort of standards that we set for them that we should have the power to be able to cut that funding off'. 'This is not about shutting centres down, it's about lifting standards up and giving us the powers to make that happen,' Mr Clare said. Mr Clare will introduce the bill into the House of Represenatives, where Labor commands a massive 94-seat majority. It is also unlikely to meet resistance in the Senate, with Coalition saying it is willing to work with the government on strengthening childcare safety. Speaking to Sky News, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley welcomed the quick action. 'I'm pleased with the government's efforts around childcare, because it's too important to get that wrong,' she said. 'And I have said, we want to be above politics in the interests of parents and families who have just been horrified at these stories.' Last week, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland also vowed action on a national Working With Children check system. This is something we are actively doing now,' she told Sky News on Sunday. 'I've been in direct contact with my counterparts … engaging with them about the need to have reform in this area.' Ms Rowland said many would be 'shocked' to learn this was actually a recommendation coming out of a 2015 series of responses on the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse. 'We're now in 2025. What is important here is that we have action,' Mr Rowland said. 'The federal government has not been idle.' 'We have been undertaking work to ensure that we do have some mechanisms that are in place.' Working With Children checks currently take place at a state and territory level. States and territories do not need to talk to each other about their processes or violations and there is no federal oversight.
ABC News
22-07-2025
- ABC News
Fresh charges expected for former childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown
An alleged childcare paedophile accused of scores of child sex offences is expected to be hit with "further charges", according to his legal team. On Tuesday, lawyers for Joshua Dale Brown appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, where he is accused of abusing eight children while working as a childcare educator at Creative Garden Early Learning in Point Cook, in Melbourne's western suburbs. The 26-year-old is facing more than 70 charges including sexually penetrating children, sexual activity in the presence of a child and contaminating food. Rishi Nathwani KC, who is representing Mr Brown, told the court the charges against his client were "in flux". "The informant said there will be more charges," Mr Nathwani said, as he asked the court not to release charge sheets to the media. "It would hinder the realisation of natural justice in his case and prejudice the administration of justice at this stage. "I'd ask your honour to resist it and not grant it at this stage." But Magistrate Donna Bakos disagreed. "The thing about your application Mr Nathwani is that the charges are effectively a matter of public record," she said. "I'm not prepared to restrict access. "They are the charges before the court." Mr Brown was due to return to court in September but during a brief administrative hearing today, that date was changed to early February. He is now believed to have worked at 24 childcare centres over his career and his alleged offences have sparked a massive public health response, with authorities urging more than 2,000 children to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases as a precaution. Mr Brown was arrested after police started investigating another man, Michael Simon Wilson, for the alleged rape of a teenage boy at Hoppers Crossing, also in Melbourne's western suburbs. The ABC understands detectives who examined Mr Wilson's devices discovered material linking him to Mr Brown, who is also facing child abuse material charges. Police will allege the two men are known to each other. Mr Wilson was also due to return to court in September but will now return to court in November.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Major overhaul flagged for Aussie childcare
The Federal Government's top lawyer is vowing 'action' on a national Working With Children check system following allegations of sexual abuse at a Melbourne childcare centre. Earlier this month, Victoria Police revealed it charged Joshua Dale Brown, 26, with more than 70 offences, including child rape and possession of child abuse material. He was a worker at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook and had a working with children check. The alleged abuse has stoked outrage, prompting Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to respond by saying a national system was the 'first item on the agenda' when she meets with state and territory counterparts. 'This is something we are actively doing now,' she told Sky News on Sunday. 'I've been in direct contact with my counterparts … engaging with them about the need to have reform in this area.' Ms Rowland said many would be 'shocked' to learn this was actually a recommendation coming out of a 2015 series of responses on the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse. 'We're now in 2025. What is important here is that we have action,' Mr Rowland said. 'The federal government has not been idle. 'We have been undertaking work to ensure that we do have some mechanisms that are in place.' Currently, Working With Children checks take place at a state and territory level. States and territories do not need to talk to each other about their processes or violations and there is no federal oversight. Ms Rowland said was working 'to ensure that we have a solution that allows near real time reporting, access to data, making sure that we've got consistency and uniformity'.Meanwhile, Education Minister Jason Clare has pledged to introduce legislation that would let Canberra cut federal funds to childcare centres that 'aren't up to scratch' on children's safety. He has said funding was one big lever the federal government could pull. Parliament will resume next week for the first time since the federal election.
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- The Guardian
Alleged sex offender Joshua Dale Brown was sacked by Melbourne childcare centre in 2021 before joining another
Alleged sex offender Joshua Dale Brown was sacked from a Melbourne childcare centre in Melbourne's west after working there for just three weeks, it has been revealed. Nido Early School on Thursday confirmed it terminated Brown from its Werribee childcare service during his probation period in July 2021, after he allegedly breached the company's internal policies around handling of incident reports. Brown's termination was first reported by the ABC and it is not alleged he engaged in sexual offending at the centre. 'Nido Early School can confirm the individual was terminated during his probation period after working 18 individual days at the Werribee service,' a spokesperson for the childcare provider said. 'This related specifically to unsatisfactory attention by the individual to an incident report concerning a child's behaviour towards another child. 'The action did not relate to any behaviour by the individual towards a child.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The spokesperson said Nido Early School has 'zero tolerance for the non-compliance to our internal policies, no matter how trivial they sound to external parties'. 'We supervise all staff closely, with additional attention given to new starters. In this case the breach of internal policy led to termination,' they said. 'Nido has fully cooperated with police and other departments.' Three months later, in October 2021, Brown started working at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook, where police allege he sexually abused children in his care between 2022 and 2023. Creative Garden Early Learning Centre is owned by G8 Education, which last week confirmed it had twice reported Brown's conduct to authorities between October 2021 and February 2024. Neither report involved allegations of sexual abuse. The first was made in April 2023, after allegations Brown 'aggressively picked up and put down' a child and then failed to support them when they became upset. Victoria police, the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) and the education department were notified but the matter was 'referred back to G8 Education for internal investigation and disciplinary response', the provider said. The internal investigation resulted in a formal written warning and a performance improvement plan. Brown then took three months' leave. The second report was made in January 2024 after allegations Brown 'raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe'. Police, the CCYP and the department were again notified and the matter was referred back to G8, who suspended Brown. They said Brown 'resigned from his employment with G8 Education during the investigation and did not return to his employment'. The company said there was a 'need for national harmonisation of policies, regulations, systems and processes across governments and regulators across Australia'. In early July, police revealed Brown had been charged with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims, aged between five months and two years old. Along with the health department, they identified they released a list of childcare centres where Brown worked between January 2017 and May 2025 and his known employment dates, and urged the parents of approximately 1,200 children to be tested for sexually transmitted infections. 'This is obviously a highly distressing situation, and I want to reassure all families being contacted that the potential exposure risk to an infectious disease for their child remains low,' the Victorian chief health officer, Dr Christian McGrath, said. 'Our recommendation for testing is a precaution and the test results we've received to date as part of this investigation reaffirms that the risk is low.' This week, five more childcare centres were added to Brown's work history by police, bringing the total number of his known childcare workplaces to 23, as well as a children's occupational therapy service. An additional 800 additional children have also been recommended for testing. Police have warned 'further updates are likely in the coming weeks'. They said establishing Brown's complete work history had been 'extremely complex' as childcare providers do not have centralised records. The federal education minister, Jason Clare, said the situation highlighted the need for a national registry of childcare workers. The Victorian government had already committed to developing its own database within months, citing the 'frustratingly slow' federal response.
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Bombshell twist as police probe into alleged childcare monster spreads to even more new locations
Sex crime cops investigating accused paedophile Joshua Dale Brown have uncovered four more childcare centres where the alleged sex offender worked Police now believe Brown, 26, who was charged with more than 70 child sex offences including the sexual penetration of a child and producing child abuse material, worked at 23 centres during his alleged offending. Brown, who was arrested in May, was also charged with recklessly contaminate goods to cause alarm or anxiety, which is understood to refer to the alleged contamination of food with bodily fluids. Brown's charges relate to eight alleged victims, aged between five months and two-years-old, who were in the care of Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023. The charges centre on Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook, where the accused worked between October 2021 and February 2024, though he also worked at more than a dozen other centres across Melbourne between 2017 and 2025. Police are desperately hunting down evidence from other centres where Brown worked. The sprawling and 'urgent investigation' is considered a top priority for police. However, Victoria Police announced today it has uncovered four more centres Brown worked which cops are now probing. Brown worked at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook (pictured) between April 2022 and January 2023 These new centres uncovered by police and the sates Brown worked are: Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham on August 29, 2024. Milestones Early Learning Tarneit on September 10, 2024 and September 13, 2024. Milestones Early Learning Braybrook on December 4, 2024 and December 6, 2024 Milestones Early Learning Greensborough on December 5, 2024, January 31, 2025 and February 27, 2025. In a relief to some parents, police have now ruled out Brown ever worked at Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing between August 22, 2024 and March 12, 2025. Victoria Police admitted 'further investigation has since determined this information was incorrect and the centre has been removed from the list'. Police now believe Brown worked at 23 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025. Agencies are in the process of contacting the families who had children placed at the four new impacted centres during the time of Brown's employment. According to Victoria Police, the urgent investigation spearheaded by the Sexual Crimes Squad focused on centres where Brown may have worked. 'This has been extremely complex due to childcare approved providers not having centralised records, requiring detectives to execute search warrants to obtain handwritten records, shift rosters and other critical information,' Police say. Investigators have also had to interview witnesses to verify details and provide an accurate account of Brown's employment history, as well as assessing more than 270 Crime Stoppers reports. Police confirmed the information released today is the most accurate and up to date record available but 'advises that further updates are likely in the coming weeks'. Acting Crime Command Commander Janet Stevenson said police 'understand many people in the community will still be feeling shocked and anxious in relation to this matter'. 'This investigation remains the highest priority for Victoria Police. We are working through a large amount of information that has been provided to us,' she said. 'Each piece of information has to be individually assessed and verified before it can be used as part of the investigation or released to the public. 'I understand there are people who will be frustrated and I want to reinforce that this is a continually evolving and changing situation. 'What hasn't changed is that this investigation remains the highest priority for Victoria Police. 'I also want to remind people, especially those struggling with this news, that there is a number of support services readily available for impacted parties and I strongly encourage people to seek those out.' On July 1, the Victorian Department of Health and Victoria Police urged the parents of 1,200 children to have them tested for infectious diseases. Health authorities had to contact more than 2,600 families after Brown was taken into custody. Daily Mail Australia revealed more than a dozen families have already approached a high-profile law firm in Victoria to seek compensation over the alleged actions of Brown while their children were under his care. Arnold Thomas and Becker Lawyers have confirmed they were contacted by a string of families about potential legal action. A spokesperson for Thomas and Becker Lawyers, which is assisting thousands of Victorians in cases over abuse as a child, said they think the number of families who will reach out to them about this is 'only going to grow'. 'We have already been contacted by a number of families who have been impacted by these shocking events,' principal lawyer Jodie Harris told Daily Mail Australia. 'Our thoughts are with the families affected, who are no doubt reeling from the shock and heartbreak of this news. 'It is truly incomprehensible that someone in a position of trust and care could prey on the most innocent members of our community.' She said that, while criminal proceedings are underway, families may have civil rights that entitle them to pursue compensation action. 'This includes the potential to seek compensation for injury. 'This could include medical expenses and potentially lump sum compensation.' Ms Harris added that it 'could be applicable for the impacted children and parents'. She said that, while criminal proceedings are underway, families may have civil rights that entitle them to pursue compensation action. 'This includes the potential to seek compensation for injury. 'This could include medical expenses and potentially lump sum compensation.' Ms Harris added that it 'could be applicable for the impacted children and parents'. Brown worked at a total of 23 childcare centres over an eight-year period between January 2017 and May 2025. He was not known to police prior to their investigation and held a Working With Children Check which has since been revoked. The Victorian Department of Health, in partnership with Victoria Police, is directly contacting families who may have been affected with further information. Not every child who attended the childcare centres listed will be recommended for testing, as they won't have been identified as having a potential exposure risk. It is also possible that those recommended for testing have had no exposure. If you haven't been contacted by Victoria Police or received a direct notification from the Department of Health (via text, email or letter), it is likely that your child is not recommended to undergo testing, but there may be some families who don't have up-to-date contact information. Parents who had a child at the listed childcare centres within the timeframes are advised to call the dedicated advice line on 1800 791 241 (open 7 days a week, 8am-9pm weekdays and 8am-5 pm weekends). Some families will be eligible for a payment of $5,000 to help with alternative care arrangements, loss of earnings, and other practical needs. Brown, who was arrested at his Point Cook home in May, has been remanded to face court on September 15. Below is a list of the childcare centres and employment dates where Brown worked provided by police: Nino Early Learning Adventures - Point Cook: 15 Jan 2017 – 9 Jun 2019 Explorers Early Learning – Point Cook: 18 Aug 2019 – 27 Oct 2019. Casual work: 10 Nov 2019 & 22 Dec 2019 Adventurers Education - Wyndham Vale: 25 Nov 2019 – 24 Jul 2020 Only About Children - Williamstown: 28 Oct 2020 – 30 Mar 2021 Wallaby Childcare Centre - Sanctuary Lakes: 13 Apr 2021 – 25 May 2021 Nido Early Learning School - Werribee: 21 Jun 2021 – 16 Jul 2021 Creative Gardens - Point Cook: 28 Oct 2021 – 2 Feb 2024 Leopold World of Learning - Leopold: 9 Feb 2023 – 13 Feb 2023 Greenwood - Point Cook: 14 Feb 2023 – 10 Mar 2023 Little Blossoms Child Care Centre - Werribee: 14 Aug 2023 – 17 Aug 2023 D.O.T.S Occupational Therapy for Children - Footscray: 1 Mar 2024 – 30 Apr 2024 Aussie Kindies Early Learning - Sunbury: 13 Aug 2024 – 21 Aug 2024 Milestones Early Learning - Werribee: 14 Aug 2024 – 16 Aug 2024 Milestones Early Learning - Hoppers Crossing: 19 Aug 2024 – 19 Aug 2024 Kids Academy - Melton: 12 Sep 2024 – 12 Sep 2024 Kids Academy - Kensington: 7 Oct 2024 – 9 Oct 2024 Aussie Kindies Early Learning - Keilor: 11 Feb 2025 – 11 Feb 2025 Papilio Early Learning - Essendon: 17 Feb 2025 – 9 May 2025 Milestones Early Learning - Bundoora: 8 May 2025 – 8 May 2025
