G8 Education Update on Child Safety and Protection
A former G8 Education team member has been charged with offences involving children at Creative Garden Point Cook. Families of the children involved have been informed by the Police and the Victorian Government.
G8 Education has no tolerance for any behaviour that compromises the safety or wellbeing of children and welcomes and supports Government decisions that improve safety for children.
More information
A former G8 Education team member has been charged with offences involving children at Creative Garden Point Cook. Families of the children involved have been informed by the Police and the Victorian Government.
The dates the former employee worked in G8 Education’s centres are:
- Creative Garden Point Cook: 28 October 2021 to 2 February 2024
- Leopold World of Learning: 9 February 2023 to 13 February 2023
- Greenwood Point Cook: 14 – 17 February 2023 and 10 March 2023
- Little Blossoms Child Care Centre Werribee: 14 August 2023 to 17 August 2023.
Additional actions G8 Education is taking
G8 Education is committed to continuous improvement in its policies and processes as well as improving its practices, and will be taking the following actions:
- Following the trial of CCTV in several of our centres, we will accelerate the rollout of CCTV to all our centres.
- Expanding individual learning plans (ILPs) to give parents greater choice over their child’s care. ILPs will now provide parents with the opportunity to provide preferences on who supports their child’s personal care routines, including nappy changes and toileting.
- Following the conclusion of the police investigation and criminal proceedings, G8 Education will commission an independent review into the incident to inform further changes and improvements to our child safety procedures within the organisation.
ASX Announcement
G8 Education’s ASX announcements can be found here.
Support Available
The Victorian Government has a dedicated website with more information: www.vic.gov.au/childcare-centres-investigation
On the website you will find:
- Information about support services
- List of services where the alleged offender worked
- Frequently asked questions
- Links to advice about talking to children about abuse
Frequently asked questions
The pre-employment screening of all our team members is rigorous and aligned with industry regulations and quality standards. In this particular case, working with children checks and reference checks were conducted prior to their employment. No issues of concern were identified at the time.
If the Victorian Government or the Victoria Police have contacted you about getting tested, we recommend following their guidance. The Victorian Government has also established a dedicated advice line to call for support – the number is 1800 791 241.
Through the advice line you can:
- Speak to a medical professional
- Discuss whether children should be tested
The advice line will operate 8am-9pm on weekdays and 8am-5pm on weekends.
Should you need to access 24/7 support or confidential counselling, please do so through G8 Education’s provider Access EAP. Phone 1800 818 728 and advise which centre your child attends.
The Victorian Government has also established a dedicated advice line to call for support – the number is 1800 791 241.
Through the advice line you can:
- Speak to a medical professional
- Discuss whether children should be tested
Police are urging anyone with information or other concerns to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or to visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
The Victorian Government has a dedicated website with more information: www.vic.gov.au/childcare-centres-investigation
On the website you will find:
- Information about support services
- List of services where the alleged offender worked
- Frequently asked questions
- Links to advice about talking to children about abuse
All criminal investigations will be overseen by Victorian Police and the Quality Assessment and Regulation Division (QARD) that is the regulatory authority for early childhood services in Victoria. All QARD’s investigation of providers will be undertaken in consultation with the Victoria Police.