A major childcare operator is reviewing its employment processes after authorities confirmed accused abuser Joshua Brown worked at more sites than originally thought.
Early learning experts say his workplace history is not unusual, but parents are questioning how he worked shifts at almost two dozen centres, sometimes for just one day.
The Investigation So Far
Authorities have added four centres to a list of sites where Brown, 26, was known to have worked, and amended employment dates for 10 previously known locations.
Brown has been charged with more than 70 offences, including sexual assault, and detectives believe he worked at a total of 23 childcare centres over more than eight years.
Affinity Education Group owns 13 of the 23 businesses where Brown worked between 2017 and 2025.
In a statement published on its website, Affinity said: “While this is a common operational practice in the sector, we are now reviewing how these movements are managed through a stronger child safety lens.”
Commons for Staff to Move Between Centres
University of South Australia’s senior lecturer in early childhood education, Martyn Mills-Bayne, said childcare centres experienced high rates of staff turnover.
“The high casualisation and part-time employment nature of the workforce means that there are many educators who work across centres, for different providers,” he said.
Parents ‘Playing Detective’
When authorities announced earlier this month that Brown had been charged with child sex offences, Emily’s* partner contacted an Affinity Education Group centre to make sure he had not worked there.
She had two children at Milestones Early Learning in Greensborough, and was shocked when the centre replied within hours and said Brown had completed a shift at the service.
Calls for a Federal Children’s Minister
National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds said her heart sank on Tuesday when she heard more centres had been added to Brown’s employment list.
“This is just going on, and on, and how distressing, how extremely distressing this is for all of those families of course, but for the whole community,” Ms Hollonds told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Ms Hollonds said Australia should have a national minister for children.
“There’s reasons why we have a cabinet minister for women, and women’s safety is a priority because that provides national leadership, coordination and accountability for action.”