‘The system has failed these families’: Jason Clare vows to accelerate childcare reforms

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has vowed to hold childcare centres accountable for any misconduct, recognising that the current system has “let families down” and that necessary reforms are overdue.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has admitted the government has taken “too bloody long” to protect kids in childcare following the “sickening” sex crimes committed by alleged pedophile Joshua Brown.

“Not enough has been done, and not enough has been done fast enough here,” he said.

“The system has failed these families.”

Mr Clare announced this morning that he would introduce legislation to cut off funding to early learning centres that employ child sex offenders.

“There’s got to be consequences for this sort of bad behaviour … the families of these kids aren’t interested in excuses,” he said.

“There will always be people that will try to break through the net and try to get into the system. And we’ve also always got to work on making sure that we find ways to keep them out and keep our kids safe.”

Mr Clare announced he would introduce legislation to cut off funding to early learning centres that employ child sex offenders Picture: Mark Stewart / NewsWire

It comes after the father of a boy who came home with serious bruising after attending the troubled Point Cook childcare centre where alleged pedophile Joshua Brown was employed slammed the centre for ignoring his complaints.

The parent said he found “very strange bruising” around his son’s arms after picking him up from Creative Gardens in January 2023.

When he reported his son’s injuries to the centre and asked to see footage of the incident, the father claims staff “brushed off” his concerns.

“They refused to show me any footage,” he said.

Instead, an email sent by centre management to the father put the boy’s injuries down to him being “bitten” by another child – despite doctor reports indicating otherwise.

The father pulled his son – who has autism – from the centre immediately following the incident.

The Herald Sun is not suggesting Brown had anything to do with the alleged incident.

A spokeswoman for G8 Education — which oversees Creative Garden Point Cook — said the centre takes all allegations of this nature very seriously.

“At Creative Garden Point Cook, the safety and wellbeing of all children in our care is our highest priority,” she said.

“We are committed to providing a safe environment for all children and families.”

Joshua Brown worked at Creative Gardens Early Learning Centre in Point Cook from October 2021 to February 2024: Picture: Supplied

Two years on, the boy is one of 1200 children needing to be tested after Mr Brown was charged with 70 offences relating to child sexual assault.

The boy’s father said he can’t sleep at night knowing what could have happened to his son, who was non-verbal at the time.

“The [centre] said there were no concerns ever raised with them in the past,” he said. “That’s bullshit because I didn’t raise the sexual assault thing but I raised with them the marks that were left on my son’s arms.

“My son was terrified, he would scream when we’d get to the front door of the centre. They failed to tell the parents what was happening there … the whole childcare system needs an overhaul.”

Carbone Lawyers managing partner Tony Carbone said the firm was investigating “a number of causes of action for the affected children in particular for breach of contract and negligence”.

“[We’re also investigating] claims for the affected children’s parents and siblings for psychological injuries including nervous shock and stress,” he said.

The new allegations against the centre come as some parents are still being left in the dark despite their child attending childcare centres at the same time that Mr Brown was working there.

Alleged sex abuser Joshua Brown. Picture Supplied

Another Father, Justin from Werribee, is furious he had to piece together his seven-year-old daughter was one of those impacted through media reports, rather than hearing from the childcare.

His then three-year-old attended Nido Early Learning School between February and July 2021, crossing over with Mr Brown’s employment.

“Disappointed, angry, frustrated. I feel like for my wife and I, we’ve been caught unaware and if it wasn’t for the media, we wouldn’t know,” he told the Herald Sun.

“So this narrative that is out in the public, that all these families have been contacted. It’s not true. It’s not true.

“(The authorities) found out this guy’s getting charged on the 12th of May and we haven’t had a phone call.”

Justin said the fact his daughter would have been too young to really convey at the time if anything had happened was causing a lot of anxiety, getting emotional as he spoke of pulling her out of school to get an STI check.

“To go and get a f****** seven-year-old girl STI tested, and trying to remain calm. I could burst into tears now,” he said. “Mate, it’s bloody tough, I can tell you.

Alleged sex abuser Joshua Brown worked at Nido Early Learning School. Picture Supplied

As for Mr Brown, Justin said he recognised him as soon as he saw the photos.

“I saw a photo of those tattoos that came out, I remember him like it was yesterday,” he said.

“He seemed a little quiet and a little reserved. A lot of the other educators are super bubbly because they’re dealing with young kids. A lot of these educators are mothers. He was sort of a bit reserved. You know, he didn’t make much of an effort to come and say hello like the other educators would.”

It comes as at least four families have contacted a leading personal injury law firm which is exploring a class action after a Melbourne child care worker was exposed as an accused pedophile.

Jodie Harris, principal lawyer at Arnold Thomas & Becker, said her firm had been approached by several parents whose children attended centres where Joshua Brown, 26, worked.

Arnold Thomas & Becker is understood to be exploring both a potential class action and individual claims after it was revealed Mr Brown had worked at more than 20 childcare centres across Melbourne between 2017 and 2025.

Ms Harris said compensation could be in the millions and families were entitled to pursue compensation while criminal proceedings were underway.

Originally published as ‘The system has failed these families’: Jason Clare vows to accelerate childcare reforms