Police name four new childcare centres where alleged pedophile Joshua Brown worked

Another childcare centre where accused pedophile Joshua Brown worked has been revealed, bringing the total number of centres to 24.

Another childcare centre where accused sex offender Joshua Brown worked has been revealed, bringing the total number of centres to 24.

Parents who had children attending World of Learning in Point Cook have been contacted by G8 to let them know Mr Brown worked at the centre on August 24, 2023.

Victoria Police has been contacted to confirm whether the centre will be added to the official list of centres on their website.

In a statement, G8 said they believed August 24 was the only day Mr Brown worked at the centre and that affected families may hear from authorities moving forward.

“Based on our review of our records, there are no records of Mr Brown working at World of Learning Point Cook on any other day,” it read.

“In light of this new information about Mr Brown’s presence at World of Learning Point Cook, the Victorian government and Victoria Police may contact you with further information or recommendations and we want to prepare you for that.

“We don’t have any information from any government authorities to indicate when or how this might occur.”

Police have named new centres where accused pedophile Joshua Brown worked. Picture Supplied

The statement from chief executive Pejman Okhovat said they were sorry it took so long to inform parents.

“In the interest of transparency, it was important we inform you of this information as soon as we could and apologise that we were unable to provide it earlier,” he said.

It also said in the statement that Mr Brown’s presence at World of Learning Point Cook was only discovered after police asked for more information from the early education group.

“Following further requests for information from Victoria Police, we have identified that Mr Brown worked for one day on 24 August, 2023 at World of Learning Point Cook.” it said.

“Based on our review of our records, there are no records of Mr Brown working at World of Learning Point Cook on any other day. This information has been provided to Victoria Police.”

At this stage it is not known how many children came into contact with Mr Brown on the day in question.

New sites named

On Tuesday, Victoria Police confirmed four other centres where Mr Brown worked.

Detectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad identified the centres as part of their “ongoing priority investigation” into Mr Brown’s alleged activities.

The new sites were:

• Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham on August 29, 2024

• Milestones Early Learning Tarneit in Tarneit on September 10, 2024, and September 13, 2024

• Milestones Early Learning Braybrook in Braybrook on December 4, 2024, and December 6, 2024

• Milestones Early Learning Greensborough in Greensborough on December 5, 2024, January 31, 2025 and February 27, 2025

Police had previously named Mr Brown as having worked at Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing between August 22, 2024, and March, 25, 2025, but on Tuesday removed that centre from its list.

“Further investigation has since determined this information was incorrect and the centre has been removed from the list,” a Victoria Police statement said.

Investigators believe Mr 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,” the statement said.

“Where additional dates have been identified, impacted families will be contacted by the Department of Health.”

‘Didn’t match his personality’

Childcare worker Lisa was a colleague of Mr Brown’s at the time and also sent her young daughter to the centre.

“He was a really nice young man. He was shy and wasn’t an open person but with parents he was friendly,” she said.

“I asked him once about his tattoos and he said he drew most of them himself … he showed me drawings and there were lots of skeletons and skulls. For someone who worked with children, they didn’t match his personality.”

Lisa said she used to see Mr Brown at lunchtime until one day he never showed up.

“Suddenly we didn’t see Josh come in but no one said anything because staff couldn’t say anything,” she said.

Parents on social media questioned how Mr Brown could have worked across 23 sites in just seven years.

Meanwhile, mum Melody Glaister — whose daughter went to Creative Garden Point Cook in 2022 — was horrified to learn more than 2000 children were required to undergo tests as a result of Mr Brown’s alleged actions.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous that so many more children and parents have to navigate what so many currently are.

Ms Glaister only just received the results back from her daughter’s tests on Tuesday when she learned of the news.

“Thankfully she is perfectly healthy, but we will never truly know what she could have been exposed to in that awful place,” she said.

New revelations have also emerged about Mr Brown’s employment at the first childcare centre he ever worked at — Nino Early Learning Adventures in Point Cook.

Mr Brown worked at this centre between January 2017 and June 2019.

Four new centres

The four new centres added to the list are all operated by early learning provider Affinity Education.

The Department of Health confirmed it would be contacting about 830 additional families following the addition of the four new centres.

“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,” 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.

“There remains no wider public health risk, and importantly the infectious diseases being tested for can be treated with antibiotics.”

Arnold Thomas and Becker lawyer Jodie Harris said the firm was representing families from two of the four newly identified childcare centres announced on Tuesday.

“We are acting for three families whose children attended Milestones Early Learning Greensborough, and one family linked to Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham,” she said.

“These families, like many others, are dealing with distress and uncertainty following the revelations – and we expect to hear from more over the coming weeks in light of this new information.”

The four new centres are operated Affinity Education. Picture: Aaron Francis

In addition to these centres, the firm has also been approached by almost 200 families whose children attended other affected centres.

“These families are justifiably angry, traumatised and seeking legal help,” Ms Harris said.

“We continue to work closely with affected families across Victoria’s west to provide clear legal advice, support, and to explore all possible avenues for compensation and justice.”

The Herald Sun understands there were issues with payroll data that caused discrepancies in the original list Affinity provided to Victoria Police.

The company on Tuesday said it has undertaken a comprehensive review of employment and staffing records.

Such records would have included educator rosters and attendance logs kept on various systems, cross-referencing internal communications and shift assignments and analysing parent communication app Storypark.

“This included providing relevant information from our ongoing review to assist Victoria Police in updating families on the childcare centres where the alleged offender worked,” an Affinity spokeswoman said.

“We understand that relevant authorities are directly contacting families whose children may be impacted.”

Mr Brown at work at a Melbourne centre. Picture: 9News

The spokeswoman said families who had children at the new centres named would also receive notifications that tests were required.

“We are deeply sorry for the distress this is causing our families – no family should have to go through this,” she said.

“We are committed to supporting every family impacted whilst continuing to co-operate fully with the authorities as the investigation continues.

“We share the urgency in ensuring that affected families receive accurate and timely information.

“Affinity has a zero tolerance approach to any form of abuse or misconduct involving children. The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is – and always will be – our highest priority.”

Another 830 families will undergo STI testing over accused sex offender Joshua Brown. Picture: Supplied

‘Investigation the highest priority’

Acting Commander Janet Stevenson of Victoria Police Crime Command said the force understood the community would be still feeling shocked and anxious after the revelations.

“This investigation remains the highest priority for Victoria Police,” she said.

“We are working through a large amount of information that has been provided to us.

“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,” Ms Stevenson said.

She said it was important that anyone struggling with the news knew there were support agencies available.

Call for vital reforms

Opposition education spokeswoman Jess Wilson said it was unacceptable authorities were scrambling to understand the basic details of Mr Brown’s work history two weeks’ on from when police first publicly revealed the alleged offending that had occurred.

“For hundreds of families to learn today that their children’s health has potentially been put at risk, weeks after the initial announcement was made, demonstrates just how gravely the system has failed,” she said.

“Once again, for too many Victorian parents the news they are receiving today is their worst nightmare.”

Ms Wilson said Victorians were rightly asking “how does this keep getting worse?”.

“The Premier is stalling action and failing Victorian families. Every day that the Premier delays reforms that are desperately needed now — establishing a registration system, strengthening the Working with Children Check system, installing CCTV where appropriate and creating an independent and strong watchdog for the sector — is another day children are being placed at heightened risk.

“There is no excuse to wait. Parliament must be recalled and these vital reforms put in place as soon as possible.”

A Victorian government spokesman reaffirmed its commitment to adopting every recommendation from its review into child safety. Picture: Supplied

Meanwhile, a Victorian government spokesman reaffirmed its commitment to adopting every recommendation from its snap review into child safety which is currently under way.

“Every Victorian is horrified by these sickening allegations – this will be a distressing time for impacted families and every health and mental health support will be provided to them,” they said.

“We have commissioned an urgent review into child safety in early childhood education and care settings and the Working with Children Check in Victoria, led by Jay Weatherill AO and Pamela White PSM — and we will adopt every recommendation.

“We are also taking urgent action to stop the use of personal devices in childcare centres, with every centre required to adopt a ban on personal devices by Friday 26 September and we are establishing a register of early childhood educators.”

Originally published as Police name four new childcare centres where alleged pedophile Joshua Brown worked