Latest news with #InspireEarlyLearning
Sky News AU
15-07-2025
- Sky News AU
'Have to step back and be realistic': Banning male workers from childcare centres not the solution, parenthood advocate says after accused paedophile charged
A leading advocate for parents has moved to quell calls to ban men from the childcare industry following a horror case of alleged child sex abuse in Melbourne, saying the solution must come at a systemic level instead. A recent police investigation exposed a string of harrowing alleged abuse against multiple children, carried out by accused pedophile Joshua Brown. Brown, who has worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne since 2017, was arrested on May 12 facing more than 70 child sex offences against eight alleged victims, who were in his care at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023. The shocking case has left parents mortified, and sparked calls for male workers to either be shunned from the industry, or to restrict their interactions with children. In one instance, Inspire Early Learning, which operates 16 childcare centres across Victoria, banned male educators from changing nappies or toileting duties in the wake of the charges against Brown. CEO of The Parenthood Georgie Dent said while she completely understands parents are fearful and more cautious after the revelations, it wouldn't be fair to punish the male workers who are safe and positive role models. "I think that for male educators who work in early learning centres this has been a really difficult period of time because there has been a reaction, a strong reaction to say we don't think you should be here," she told Peter Stefanovic on Sky News' First Edition on Tuesday. "And what is disappointing about that is we know that children really benefit from having positive role models who are both male and female and for male educators who are there for the right reasons and doing the right thing, it's really distressing for them to be tarred with that brush that 'all men who work in this industry have obviously got some perversion'. "I think we have to step back and be realistic here that the answer to these abuse allegations is to strengthen the system, not to decide to perpetrate another injustice by saying men aren't welcome in this industry," she said. When asked what solutions the childcare industry needed to be looking at, Ms Dent said improvement of quality and safety at the top level was required. She also said The Parenthood had been campaigning for an early childhood commission to oversee changes to the system and called for key changes to be brought in for the industry. "We need a strong national working with children check system, we need a national educator register again so that we're seeing when a particular educator is moving between different jurisdictions, we need a national reportable conduct scheme," she said. "At the moment there's more than five different schemes available and it is so difficult to navigate and what this crisis has shown us is that parts of the system are not talking to each other and we have to make sure that child wellbeing and child safety is the paramount priority. "If it means privacy for a particular person is curtailed so that an employer is allowed to be told if there have been red flags in this person's employment history, I think most parents would reasonably expect that any childcare provider who's employing someone is able to see if there's any problems in their employment history." Ms Dent added that if childcare centres consistently failed to meet the minimum standards, then they should stop receiving ongoing funding from taxpayers or parents. "If a service is not meeting the minimum standards, which does occur, it should not be business as usual. There needs to be an intervention. And if that requires a service to be shut, then I think that's necessary," she said.
Perth Now
05-07-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Childcare centres' big call on male staff
Male educators will reportedly no longer be involved in changing nappies or toileting duties at a string of Victorian childcare centres. Inspire Early Learning – which operates 16 childcare centres in the state – sent a letter to parents on Friday announcing the changes, as per 7News. Chief curriculum and quality officer Eleinna Anderson told families the changes were to ensure they remained 'sensitive and responsive to family needs', and that male staff would still play a 'vital role' in activities and classroom preparation among other duties. 'The wellbeing and safety of your children are at the heart of everything we do,' she said. 'We're writing to share a few important updates to our guidelines around staff interactions with children and team responsibilities – changes made with careful thought and a continued commitment to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all.' Police allege Joshua Brown sexually assaulted young children, produced child abuse material and contaminated food with bodily fluids among other charges. Picture Supplied., Credit: Supplied It has been reported educators have also been told to refrain from kissing or having other unnecessary contact with children, and to seek consent if holding hands or a gentle hug is needed. It comes after childcare worker Joshua Brown was charged with more than 70 offences, after he allegedly abused eight children at a childcare centre in Point Cook, Melbourne. It is alleged some children were as young as five months. The families of 1200 children have been directed to have their children tested for sexually transmitted infections. Police confirmed they are investigating Mr Brown's employment at 20 Melbourne childcare centres and had a suppression order on his name removed to inform families with children at the affected centres to get tested. Inspire Early Learning is not among the centres Mr Brown is said to have worked at. Independent Collective of Survivors founder Louise Edmonds called for a ban on male childcare workers following the shocking allegations against Melbourne educator Joshua Brown. Credit: Supplied The allegations against Mr Brown sparked an immediate reaction from authorities and advocates around the country. Child abuse victims' advocate Louise Edmonds, a founding member of the independent Collective of Survivors, was among the most prominent voices calling for men to be banned from working at childcare centres. 'This is the third case of huge amounts of children being exposed to alleged pedophiles and alleged child sex abuses in a childcare centre,' she said on Today. 'We actually have to look at the safety first and foremost of our most vulnerable citizens, which are our children, and a lot of them are voiceless. 'So children start communicating well at around two years old. The children under two years old, they cannot speak. 'The sad reality is there's so much lived experience and evidence and data around child sex offenders, and 97 per cent of them are male. 'And this is a scary topic and a lot of people, we don't want to talk about it because it's so horrific when it comes to the abuse of children.' Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said he would introduce legislation to strengthen working with children checks. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia Politicians have vowed to introduce new laws to strengthen working with children checks, that were recommended a decade ago during the 2015 Royal Commission into Institutionalised Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said he would introduce legislation to allow fraud investigators to conduct random, unannounced visits at childcare centres without a warrant, and without the need to be accompanied by police. He would also introduce laws to allow the federal government, which currently provides $16bn of annual funding to centres, to scrap payments to places which do not meet standards. State and federal ministers will discuss how CCTV cameras can be used to monitor childcare centres and Attorneys-General will work out better ways to share information.
News.com.au
05-07-2025
- News.com.au
Inspire Early Learning to stop male staff changing nappies in wake of shocking child abuse allegations in Victoria
Male educators will reportedly no longer be involved in changing nappies or toileting duties at a string of Victorian childcare centres. Inspire Early Learning – which operates 16 childcare centres in the state – sent a letter to parents on Friday announcing the changes, as per 7News. Chief curriculum and quality officer Eleinna Anderson told families the changes were to ensure they remained 'sensitive and responsive to family needs', and that male staff would still play a 'vital role' in activities and classroom preparation among other duties. 'The wellbeing and safety of your children are at the heart of everything we do,' she said. 'We're writing to share a few important updates to our guidelines around staff interactions with children and team responsibilities – changes made with careful thought and a continued commitment to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all.' It has been reported educators have also been told to refrain from kissing or having other unnecessary contact with children, and to seek consent if holding hands or a gentle hug is needed. It comes after childcare worker Joshua Brown was charged with more than 70 offences, after he allegedly abused eight children at a childcare centre in Point Cook, Melbourne. It is alleged some children were as young as five months. The families of 1200 children have been directed to have their children tested for sexually transmitted infections. Police confirmed they are investigating Mr Brown's employment at 20 Melbourne childcare centres and had a suppression order on his name removed to inform families with children at the affected centres to get tested. Inspire Early Learning is not among the centres Mr Brown is said to have worked at. The allegations against Mr Brown sparked an immediate reaction from authorities and advocates around the country. Child abuse victims' advocate Louise Edmonds, a founding member of the independent Collective of Survivors, was among the most prominent voices calling for men to be banned from working at childcare centres. 'This is the third case of huge amounts of children being exposed to alleged pedophiles and alleged child sex abuses in a childcare centre,' she said on Today. 'We actually have to look at the safety first and foremost of our most vulnerable citizens, which are our children, and a lot of them are voiceless. 'So children start communicating well at around two years old. The children under two years old, they cannot speak. 'The sad reality is there's so much lived experience and evidence and data around child sex offenders, and 97 per cent of them are male. 'And this is a scary topic and a lot of people, we don't want to talk about it because it's so horrific when it comes to the abuse of children.' Politicians have vowed to introduce new laws to strengthen working with children checks, that were recommended a decade ago during the 2015 Royal Commission into Institutionalised Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said he would introduce legislation to allow fraud investigators to conduct random, unannounced visits at childcare centres without a warrant, and without the need to be accompanied by police. He would also introduce laws to allow the federal government, which currently provides $16bn of annual funding to centres, to scrap payments to places which do not meet standards. State and federal ministers will discuss how CCTV cameras can be used to monitor childcare centres and Attorneys-General will work out better ways to share information.
