Dear Families
As you are aware, in recent weeks a former G8 Education employee, Mr Brown, has been charged with offences involving children at our Creative Garden Point Cook centre.
These allegations have been deeply distressing for our entire community and we have been focused on supporting all those impacted, together with assisting the Victoria Police with their thorough investigation, to obtain justice for all children and families involved.
Important Information for Families
Following further requests for information from Victoria Police, we have identified that Mr Brown worked for 1 day on 24 August 2023 at World of Learning Point Cook. Based on our review of our records, there are no records of Mr Brown working at World of Learning Point Cook on any other day. This information has been provided to Victoria Police.
We are writing to you because your child attended World of Learning Point Cook on 24 August 2023. In the interest of transparency, it was important we inform you of this information as soon we could and apologise that we were unable to provide it earlier.
In light of this new information about Mr Brown’s presence at World of Learning Point Cook, the Victorian Government and Victoria Police may contact you with further information or recommendations and we want to prepare you for that. We don’t have any information from any Government authorities to indicate when or how this might occur.
We continue to fully cooperate with Victoria Police, Victorian Government and other relevant authorities as part of their ongoing investigation. Aside from the date that Mr Brown was present at World of Learning Point Cook, we don’t have any further information or details that we can share at this time.
We continue to work closely with Police to ensure they have the information they require, including identifying and providing information and data that may assist their investigations.
We understand that this news may be upsetting and distressing. 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.
G8 Education has also made confidential counselling and support available to you through G8 Education’s provider Access EAP. If you wish to use this service, please phone 1800 818 728 and advise that your child attended a G8 Education centre.
Services are available to support children and their families to recover from traumatic events. For more detailed information on responding to trauma in children and how to talk to children about abuse go to the website www.vic.gov.au/childcare-centres-investigation.
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.
The government has also established a dedicated advice line to call for support – the number is 1800 791 241.
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