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Childcare employers will now be stripped of their government funding if they fail to adhere to new safety standards following shocking allegations of abuse circulating within centres.
Labor’s Strengthening Regulation of Early Education Bill has passed through Parliament, allowing the government to strip childcare employers of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) payments if they habitually fail to meet safety standards.
The bill was quickly processed through Parliament after alarming allegations arose out of a Victoria-based childcare centre involving former childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, who was arrested in relation to alleged sexual offending against eight children.
According to Victoria’s Sexual Crimes Squad, the allegations involve over 70 offences – including sexual penetration of a child, contaminating goods to cause alarm, and producing child abuse material.
When the allegations were first brought to light, health authorities recommended that the 1,200 children who were connected to the case be tested for potential diseases.
Speaking on the bill when it was introduced, Labor’s Education Minister, Jason Clare, said it could take as much as “one breach” for childcare employers’ funding to be cut.
“It could be as simple as one [breach],” Clare told the ABC.
“This will give us the power to issue a show cause notice to a centre and say we will shut it within 28 days unless they meet that minimum standard.”
“The safety and protection of children in early childhood education is our highest priority,” said Clare.
“Australia has a very good system of early childhood education and care, but more can be done to make sure safety guidance and measures are fit-for-purpose.”
Despite supporting the bill, the Greens’ spokesperson for early education and care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May, claimed that changes won’t have the monumental impact needed to ensure similar allegations do not arise.
“This bill introduces measures the Greens support, but it does nothing to lift quality across the board and only kicks in after providers fail on safety or quality,” said Hodgins-May.
“The new measures rely entirely on the secretary’s discretion, with no clear framework for how decisions will be made, including when it comes to what information is shared with families.
“The deeper issue lies in the subsidy funding model – a model that treats early education as an industry to profit from, not a human right.”
Hodgins-May instead called for a national watchdog to be implemented, ensuring that the needed “quality and safety” in the childcare sector is improved and upheld.
“Only an independent national watchdog, as proposed by the Greens and backed by the sector, will genuinely lift quality and safety and move us towards a genuinely accessible and high-quality early education system,” said Hodgins-May.
“It should never take tragedies to trigger reform. The Prime Minister says he wants universal, affordable childcare to be his legacy. Well, is he ready to work with us to deliver it?”
Kace O'Neill
Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.
