State Government seeking “urgent” advice on child care safety measures

The SA Government is urgently exploring new measures to bolster child safety in the wake of the sickening child abuse allegations coming out of Victoria.

The State Government is urgently seeking advice on the feasibility of mandating CCTV systems in all child care centres across South Australia in the wake of horrific child abuse allegations in Victoria.

A ban on mobile phones in centres is also set to be fast-tracked while the possibility of implementing a register of educators will also be considered.

Education Minister Blair Boyer has written to the chief executives of both the Education Standards Board and the Office for Early Childhood Development, requesting “urgent advice” on ways to strengthen safety requirements in child care centres.

Mr Boyer has asked the executives to consider the feasibility of:

MANDATING the installation of CCTV in all child care centres.

FAST-TRACKING a ban on personal mobile phone devices in facilities.

ADOPTING a register of educators.

STRENGTHENING the ability of the regulator to notify families when issues arise.

A federal ban on mobile phones in child care centres is due to be implemented in September however Mr Boyer wants to introduce the prohibition sooner.

“Safety and quality in childcare for all South Australian families is my top priority as Education Minister,” he said.

Education Minister Blair Boyer is looking to fast track legislation to strengthen safety requirements in child care centres. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Mr Boyer said he “won’t hesitate to do what it takes to keep kids safe”.

“That’s why I have asked the Education Standards Board and Office for Early Childhood Development for urgent advice on fast tracking and implementing changes sooner in SA,” he said.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the government would “do everything we can to make children safer”.

“As Attorney-General, I’ll be having discussions in the coming week with my colleagues from other states to see if we can have some sort of national consistency,” he said.

“There are a whole range of suggestions that have been put forward.

“We’re keen to examine those because … what we’ve seen out of Victoria I think would sicken every single South Australian.”

It comes after childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, 26, of Point Cook in Victoria, faces 70 charges after he allegedly sexually abused eight children, aged between five months and two years old.

Police allege the offences occurred at Creative Gardens Early Learning Centre, Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023.

Since 2017, Mr Brown has worked at 19 childcare centres.

As such, authorities are urging parents of 1200 children to have their child tested for potentially infectious diseases.

Police have also charged a second man, Michael Simon Wilson, 36, of Hoppers Crossing,

with 45 offences – including child sex offences – as part of their investigation into Mr Brown.

Child sex offenders banned from working with underage staff

Convicted or accused child sex offenders are now banned from working alongside children after the state government closed a loophole that allowed predators to be employed in businesses with underage staff.

Under the reforms, described by the government as “nation-leading,” registered child sex offenders, as well as people charged with but not yet convicted of registrable child sex offences, are prohibited from working alongside child staff members or in businesses where they would be in contact with underage employees.

This includes shops and fast food restaurants.

It comes after the powerful Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association in 2022 called on the government to take action to protect young employees.

The state government introduced legislation to close a loophole that allowed people charged with or convicted of child sex offences to be employed in businesses with underage staff. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

The union noted at the time that a legal anomaly that banned suspects charged with, or convicted of, child sex offences from volunteering or working in education and juvenile-related positions still allowed them to work with children in retail and fast food industries.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the expansion of the ban “more broadly captures areas and workplaces where an accused or convicted employee would be in contact with child employees in that same workplace, better protecting children in their place of work”.

“It’s a significant step forward that recognises the importance of protecting those young people who have joined the workforce, and providing peace of mind to their parents that they will be safe at work,” he said.

Shoppies Union secretary Josh Peak said the SDA was proud to have played a role in making South Australia the first place in the country to ban child sex offenders from working in retail and fast food businesses.

“There have been far too many incidents where managers charged with child sex offences have been allowed to continue working alongside young workers,” he said.

Mr Peak said in 2021 Brendan Nazer, then 20, was charged and convicted with child sex offences “and whilst he was going through court he continued to work and manage children at a McDonald’s store here in South Australia”.

“Following his conviction, he was then able to get a job working in a nightfill (role) at a Coles,” he said.

“He then breached his conditions that were put on him and he was charged again with child sex offences but never once was banned from his employment.”

Mr Peak said the new laws were “critical to helping ensure the safety of young workers in retail and fast food”.

A retail worker and mother – who wished to remain anonymous – welcomed the laws.

“For all the parents out there, this is something that is going to bring us that surety that we can send out child to work knowing that we’re not placing them into the hands of convicted child sex offenders,” she said.

Originally published as State Government seeking “urgent” advice on child care safety measures