Dear Families

We know that the past fortnight has been incredibly difficult for our G8 Education community and we would like to reiterate how deeply sorry we are for the unimaginable pain caused to all those affected.

We continue to work with Victoria Police, the Victorian Government and other relevant authorities as part of their ongoing investigations. We are doing everything we can to give them the best chance of achieving justice for the children and families involved.

We are reaching out to you today as we understand there may be further media stories about Joshua Dale Brown relating to incidents where he was the subject of suspension of employment, investigation and disciplinary action by G8 Education, in matters which are unrelated to the charges he is now facing.

We understand speculation, commentary and ongoing media reports regarding this individual are deeply distressing for families and we felt it was important to provide clarity around our management of these incidents, including reporting to relevant authorities and the disciplinary processes that followed.

Our commitment to safety

At G8 Education, child protection and safeguarding is our number one priority and we take all allegations regarding child safety extremely seriously. If allegations are made at any of our centres, our team takes all appropriate steps to report the matter to relevant authorities and investigate, and if the allegations are found to be substantiated, disciplinary action follows.

Our practice framework in this area is contained in our policies and procedures, including:

• Child Protection and Safeguarding Practice Manual; and
• Dealing with Complaints and Parent Grievance Policy,

which can be accessed by families via the G8 Education Policy QR Code available at centres.

Information about disciplinary action regarding former employee

Mr Brown was the subject of two internal investigations during his employment with G8 Education between October 2021 and February 2024. The allegations were notified to Victoria Police, the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) and the Department of Education (Department) and the outcome of the investigations were notified to CCYP and the Department as required by our own internal policies and procedures and relevant regulation and law.

First Investigation

The first investigation was conducted in April 2023. It followed allegations that Mr Brown aggressively picked up and put down and did not uphold the dignity and rights of a child in his care by notsupporting that child while they were upset. The allegations did not involve allegations of sexual abuse.

• These allegations were raised by three G8 Education team members to G8 Education.
• These allegations were reported by G8 Education to Victoria Police, CCYP and the Department. The parents of the child involved were also notified.
• Following notification to Victoria Police, the matter was referred back to G8 Education for internal investigation and disciplinary response.
• G8 Education thoroughly investigated the allegations in line with its policies and procedures and substantiated both allegations. The resulting investigation report was provided to the Department and CCYP.
• Formal disciplinary action was taken against Mr Brown by G8 Education, with a Formal Written Warning issued and a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) put in place, which included coaching and further training.
• Mr Brown took an extended period of three months leave following the investigation.

Second Investigation

The second investigation was conducted in January 2024 following receipt of allegations that Mr Brown raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child’s shoe. The allegations did not involve allegations of sexual abuse.

• These allegations were raised via a complaint from a parent and the reports of two G8 Education team members to G8 Education.
• These allegations were reported by G8 Education to Victoria Police, CCYP and the Department. The parents of the children involved were also notified.
• Following notification to Victoria Police, the matter was referred back to G8 Education for internal investigation and disciplinary response.
• Immediately following receipt of the allegations, G8 Education suspended Mr Brown from his employment with G8 Education pending completion of the investigation.
• Mr Brown remained suspended throughout the investigation and resigned from his employment with G8 Education during the investigation and did not return to his employment with G8 Education.
• G8 Education finalised the investigation of the allegations in line with its policies and procedures and substantiated all allegations. The final investigation report was provided to the Department and CCYP.

In both instances, G8 Education took immediate action and followed robust processes for responding to serious incidents of this nature, including all required actions under regulation and law. The investigations, which substantiated all allegations, resulted in disciplinary action in the first instance and Mr Brown’s resignation in the second. All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes.

Broader Sector Reforms Needed – what we advocate for

The situation highlighted by these incidents is why we continue to strongly advocate for the need for national harmonisation of policies, regulations, systems and processes across governments and regulators across Australia.

We have strongly advocated for a national registry for working with vulnerable people including, working with children, NDIS recipients and aged care and a national register of early childhood workers employment history.

You can read more about our advocacy on continuous reforms at g8education.edu.au. Please know that support is available for you and your family. If you have any concerns or would like to speak with someone, we encourage you to reach out to your Centre Manager or you may also access 24/7 support or confidential counselling through G8 Education’s dedicated EAP provider, AccessEAP, on 1800 818 728.

You can also access information and support on the Victorian Government’s dedicated website: www.vic.gov.au/childcare-centres-investigation.

Thank you for your continued trust in us. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a safe, nurturing and supportive environment for every child.

Kind regards
Pejman Okhovat
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director