Childcare, Trust, and Safety: 5 Steps Parents Can Take After the Victorian Abuse Case

By Emily Hanlon

Last month, I packed my baby’s bottles into her bag, labelled my toddler’s new hat, and reminded my oldest son (for the hundredth time) not to swap lunch with his best friend. Then I kissed each of them goodbye and dropped them off at childcare.

Hours later, I saw the news.

A Victorian childcare worker had been charged with over 70 offences of child sexual abuse across multiple centres. My heart dropped. Like so many parents, I felt nauseous.

As a clinical psychologist, I understood the scale of the trauma. As a mother, I felt the rising panic of what if.

This isn’t a post written in fear, but it is written in honesty. Because what’s unfolding is confronting, deeply painful, and urgently necessary to talk about, for the sake of childcare safety in Australia.

The Victorian Childcare Abuse Case: What We Know

According to official reports and news sources:

• A male educator, Joshua Dale Brown, has been charged with the sexual abuse of at least eight children under the age of 3.

• He worked across 20 different early childhood centres in Victoria over an eight-year period.

• More than 2,600 families have now been contacted by authorities.

• Around 1,200 children have been urged to undergo infectious disease testing following a public health alert.

Understandably, the collective trust of families across Australia has been shaken.

Holding Two Truths About Childcare Safety

We can hold two truths at the same time:

• It is safe to send your child to childcare in Australia.

• And we also need urgent reforms to make it safer still.

As parents, carers, and professionals, we must move the conversation from shame to safety. Shame keeps us silent. Safety grows from informed action.

5 Steps to Support Childcare Safety Without Panic

These practical actions can help parents feel informed and empowered, without falling into fear.

1. Ask About Childcare Staff Oversight and Safety Protocols: Inquire about policies around phone use, educator-to-child ratios, toileting supervision, and monitoring during unstructured play. You have the right to ask detailed questions.

2. Know Every Educator in Your Child’s Room: Introduce yourself to all educators who spend time with your child, not just their “key worker.” Ask how relief and casual staff are screened, and whether Working With Children Checks are verified regularly.

3. Teach Body Safety and Consent at Home, Even if your child is preverbal, start using age-appropriate language about consent, privacy, and trusted adults. You can use my free picture book guide on body boundaries, safety, and consent to get started.

4. Watch for Behavioural or Physical Signs of Distress: Children may not always be able to tell you what happened, but their bodies might. Changes in sleep, toileting, feeding, or behaviour can be important data points. They’re not always signs of abuse, but they should be taken seriously.

5. Advocate for Stronger Childcare Regulations in Australia: This includes pushing for:

• A national register for early childhood educators

• Clearer and faster consequences for misconduct

• Mandatory child protection training for all early childhood roles

Why Speaking Up Matters

The day I read the headline, I spent ten extra minutes at pickup. I asked the director some hard questions. I sat in the car and cried. And then I reminded myself: Choosing childcare is not a failure. It’s not lazy, selfish, or inherently unsafe. It’s what millions of families do every day to support their children’s learning and their family’s future.

But we owe it to every child, and every parent, to make the system stronger. That means:

• Transparency in policies and staff records

• Regulation that works in practice, not just on paper

• Refusing to let the shame of one predator overshadow the thousands of educators showing up with integrity every single day

As parents, we are not powerless. We are informed. We are capable. And together, we are watching.

Frequently Asked Questions on Childcare Safety in Australia

Q: How can I check if my childcare centre is safe? Ask to see the centre’s policies on staff vetting, supervision, and reporting. Look for compliance with the National Quality Framework (NQF).

Q: What are early signs my child is struggling at care? Changes in mood, regression in toilet training, disrupted sleep, or sudden fear of attending care can be early indicators worth exploring with educators or professionals.

Q: Should I pull my child out of childcare after a case like this? While the fear is understandable, statistically childcare in Australia remains safe. The priority is to choose centres with robust safety protocols and maintain open communication.

If You Found This Helpful

Please share this with another parent, carer, or educator. The more informed our communities are, the stronger and safer our childcare systems become.

And to every educator reading this, thank you. This is hard news to hold, but your commitment to children’s wellbeing matters more than ever.