A Melbournechildcare worker has been chargedwith allegedly sexually abusing infants and children in his care, sparking a massive police investigation and government response.
Here’s what we know so far and what affected families should do.
Victoria police on Tuesday announced Point Cook resident Joshua Brown, 26, had been charged with more than 70 offences relating to eight children aged between five months and two years old.
The charges include: attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12; sexual assault of a child under 16; sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16; producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service; using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material; possessing child abuse material for use through a carriage service; recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety; using a carriage service to offend and using a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to himself.
Acting police commander Janet Stevenson told reporters the charges were laid due to a “proactive investigation”, rather than resulting from a complaint, with the alleged abuse uncovered after the discovery of child abuse material.
This meant police had to identify and track down alleged victims and their families, who were notified last week, she said.
Stevenson said Brown had not been known to police before the investigation. He has been in custody since his arrest on 12 May and will next appear at Melbourne magistrates court on 15 September.
Police fought for a suppression order to be lifted to ensure Brown’s identity was made public.
Police allege there are eight victims at this stage in their investigation, all of whom attended the same childcare centre in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Police said they were also aware of allegations of offending at a second childcare centre in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, which is being “investigated as a priority”.
Brown worked at 20 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025, police said, with the state government setting up awebsite listing the centresand the known employment dates.
They believe all alleged offending occurred within Victoria and there is no evidence to suggest any other staff member at any centre was involved.
The health department and Victoria police have contacted about 2,600 families whose children attended the childcare centres where Brown was employed. They are recommending about 1,200 of the children get screened for infectious diseases, which families can arrange for free.
Victoria’s chief health officer, Dr Christian McGrath, said the testing was being done as a “precaution” to ensure the health and wellbeing of the children.
He refused to reveal which diseases the children may have been exposed to, citing the investigation and patient privacy, but said infections could be treated with antibiotics and there was no broader public health risk. Test results would be turned around within days or weeks, McGrath added.
“We are organising direct referrals to centres around Melbourne to organise that testing and coordinating with the laboratories to ensure that the turn around of the testing time as quick as possible,” he said.
Affected families should receive either a text, email or letter from the health department or be contacted by police with more information.
According to the government’s website, if you have not heard from either the department or police “it is likely that you or your child have not been identified as someone needing further public health information in relation to this matter”.
But the website acknowledges there may be some families “that we don’t have the most up-to-date information for, or they have moved homes”.
They have asked families to checkthe list of centreson the website and to contact the dedicated advice line on 1800 791 241 – open seven days a week, 8am to 9pm weekdays and 8am to 5pm weekends – if they believe their child was at one of the centres at the time of Brown’s employment.
Some families will be eligible for a payment of $5,000 to help with alternative care arrangements, loss of earnings and other practical needs during this time. The health department will be able to tell families if they are eligible.
Wrap-around supports will also be offered.
Staff at the childcare centres have been told testing is not recommended for them but they can speak to their GP if they have concerns about their health. They have also been told to contact the advice line for support.
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said the government will “take every action within our power to keep Victorian children safe”. This will include taking on any advice provided by the police and the early childhood regulator investigating the case.
The minister for children, Lizzie Blandthorn, said childcare was regulated by the federal government, which, along with the states and territories, had agreed last month tonew child safety measureswhich will come into effect on 1 September.
These measures include mandatory 24-hour reporting of any allegations, complaints or incidents of physical or sexual abuse – down from the current seven-day window – and stricter rules around technology use in childcare centres. This includes centres being required to have clear policies on taking photos and videos of children, parent consent, CCTV practice and using service-issued, rather than personal, devices.
Child safety will then be explicitly embedded into the national quality standard from 1 January 2026.
Blandthorn, however, said the pace of reform was “moving too slow”. She said she would like to see a national system of registration for childcare workers fast-tracked and that Victoria would implement its own regardless.
The federal minister for early childhood education, Jess Walsh, said she was working with states and territories to “speed up the next stage of nationwide law reforms to keep our children safe”. She said this included “accelerating work already underway in developing a nationwide registration of early educators”.
Education minister, Jason Clare, said he would be introducing legislation to federal parliament in the “next few months” to “cut off funding to childcare centres that aren’t up to scratch”.