Victorian government releases terms of reference for rapid child safety review
The Victorian government has released the terms of reference for its rapid child safety review following sexual abuse allegations against a childcare worker.
Immediate steps to improve child safety will be laid out for the Victorian government by a snap review commissioned in the wake of allegations of sexual abuse by Melbourne childcare worker Joshua Brown.
Premier Jacinta Allan ordered the review last week as pressure mounted on state and federal leaders to explain how Mr Brown – who held a valid working with children check – was able to slip through the system and work in 20 childcare centres in Victoria.
Ms Allan has committed to implementing all recommendations from the review, which is due by August 15 and will be led by public service veteran Pamela White and former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill.
Under its terms of reference – released by the government on Thursday – the review will identify the immediate actions the Victorian government can take to improve the safety of children in early childhood education and care settings. It will analyse the national child safety reform program to identify actions that can be fast tracked or strengthened in Victoria and identify any gaps. The review will consider “specific strategies that Victoria could advocate nationally to adopt or accelerate that would enhance child safety”.
The reviewers will also identify options to improve information sharing across jurisdictions and regulators, advise on ways to strengthen working with children checks, look at international best practice and consult with experts.
They must also consider previous reviews into childcare in recent years, including the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority’s 2023 review of child safety arrangements under the national quality framework and the 2025 independent review into the NSW early childhood education and care regulatory authority.
“The review will highlight priorities to support regulatory activity and reform and is not intended to be a review of the performance or governance of the Victorian Regulatory Authority,” the terms of reference state. Ms Allan also announced a ban on personal devices in childcare centres and creation of a Victorian childcare worker register.
