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Child Safety in Action: The Steps We’re Taking Across ��ר��

��ר�� — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 23:12:23 +0000

Like many families and educators across Australia, we’ve been deeply affected by the recent reports about child safety in early learning. At ��ר��, we want you to know we’ve heard your concerns, and we’re acting.

The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is - and always will be - our highest priority.

We are a community of parents, carers, educators and teachers who share a deep commitment to the children in our care. That’s why we’ve taken immediate steps to strengthen child safety across all ��ר�� centres, and to ensure that every team member feels supported and confident in creating safe, nurturing learning environments.

Strengthening Child Protection Through Bravehearts Training

We are proud to announce a new child protection training agreement with , one of Australia’s most respected child protection organisations.

This expert-led training will support all Affinity educators and leaders in building the skills, knowledge and confidence to keep children safe, every single day.

Through this training agreement:

All Affinity employees will complete Bravehearts’ Child Protection for Early Years Educators course via our Learning Hub. It includes case studies, practical tools, and strategies for recognising, responding to and preventing harm.
All Centre Managers will undertake Creating and Maintaining a Child Safe Environment, a leadership-level course focused on embedding a culture of safety.
Annual refreshers will ensure child protection remains a consistent, visible focus across our centres.

“The Bravehearts training will give our team real confidence,” says Tanya, a Centre Manager in Townsville. “It will help us understand how to spot risks early, have the hard conversations, and support each other in doing the right thing.”

Our National Child Safety Program: What’s Underway

In addition to Bravehearts training, we’ve launched a comprehensive, multi-layered child safety program across all states and territories, overseen by a dedicated Project Management Office at our Support Office.

Here’s what’s in progress:

CCTV Installations and Upgrades

We’re accelerating the rollout of high-quality digital CCTV systems across more than 250 centres, focused on shared areas to enhance visibility, transparency, and protection.

Child-Safe Environment Audits

We're conducting national audits to identify and address blind spots, including in toileting and nappy change areas, and working quickly to implement improvements.

Supervision and Rostering Protocols

We’re reviewing our rostering practices to further reduce instances of educators working alone with children, aligning with best-practice guidance.

Secure Storage for Personal Devices

While personal devices have been banned in learning environments since 2023, we’re now installing secure lockable lockers to support compliance and reduce distractions.

Digitising Staff Training and Movement Records

We’re transitioning to a centralised, digital tracking system for staff training, onboarding and centre visits, helping us ensure consistent compliance and visibility across the organisation.

Wellbeing and Practice Workshops

We’ve partnered with to co-create in-person workshops that support staff wellbeing, reflective practice, and continuous improvement in service quality.

Ongoing Consultation

We’re engaging directly with families, educators, regulators and authorities, inviting ideas, feedback and collaboration to help shape the safest possible learning environments.

Listening, Learning, and Leading

��ר�� has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of misconduct involving children. We support sector-wide reforms that raise safety standards and protect every child, in every early learning setting.

We know that safety is built on trust. That’s why we are committed to:

Transparent, ongoing communication with our families and teams
Full cooperation with regulators and relevant Departments
Creating safe spaces for our people to speak up, reflect, and improve

If you have a suggestion, concern or question, we encourage you to contact our Family Support Team on 1800 244 532 or via feedback@affinityeducation.com.au.

Thank You for Standing With Us

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, carer or educator, we know these past few weeks have been difficult. You’ve shown resilience, care and courage, and we are so grateful for your trust.

We are in this together. And we will continue working, side by side, to create the safest and most nurturing early learning environments in Australia.

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��ר�� Statement on Charges Laid by Victoria Police – Latest Update

��ר�� — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:31:14 +0000

This page was first published on 2 July 2025 and updated on 15 July 2025.

Updates relating to the charges laid by Victoria Police on a former ��ר�� employee will be published here.

Tim's Letter to Families: 15 July 2025

Dear families,

We remain deeply distressed by the nature of the charges laid against the individual who has worked in Affinity centres, Joshua Brown.

Today (15 July 2025), Victoria Police has announced an updated list of childcare centres where the alleged offender worked. This information is available on the and we also include information on the dates he worked at Affinity centres at the end of this letter.

We understand that relevant authorities are directly contacting families whose children may be impacted. Please read the information and follow any instructions provided by authorities.

Since being briefed on this matter on 1 July 2025, we have been undertaking a comprehensive review of our employment and staffing records, as well as other relevant data. This includes providing relevant information from this ongoing review to assist Victoria Police in updating families on the childcare centres where the alleged offender worked.

We are deeply sorry for the distress this is causing our families – no family should have to go through this. We are committed to supporting every family impacted whilst continuing to cooperate fully with the authorities as the investigation continues. We share the urgency in ensuring that affected families receive accurate and timely information.

As the matter is an open and ongoing police investigation, it is important that any questions are directed to authorities in the first instance. If authorities believe your child may have been impacted, you will be contacted directly.

Affinity has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse or misconduct involving children. The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is – and always will be – our highest priority.

The Victorian Government is encouraging families to contact their dedicated advice line on 1800 791 241. Further information and support resources are available to access via this website: .

If you have information to share with the Police, they have urged families to contact Crime Stoppers on or via 1800 333 000.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact our Family Support Centre on 1800 971 573.

Yours sincerely,

Tim Hickey
CEO
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List of ��ר�� centres

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When was the individual employed by Affinity?
The individual was employed from 13 August 2024 to 15 May 2025.

2. Did he work at all with my child?
Families are invited to speak to their Centre Manager, or you can also call our Family Support Team on 1800 244 532 or email feedback@affinityeducation.com.au.

3. When did Affinity first become aware of this individual’s alleged illegal activity?
We were briefed on nature of the charges against this individual on 1 July 2025, when they were publicly reported. As of today, we have not been advised by Victoria Police of any charges or allegations specifically relating to the individual’s time at this centre.

4. Why did Affinity not tell parents sooner?
The matter was subject to strict legal suppression orders until it was made public on 1 July 2025. Affinity has fully cooperated with authorities at every stage and continues to do so. We have complied with legal and regulatory requirements, including directions around confidentiality. Our focus has been – and remains on supporting our teams, complying with the investigation and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the children in our care.

5. Why didn’t Affinity act sooner?
As soon as we became aware of the matter, we provided relevant records to the authorities. We continue to cooperate fully with the investigation.

6. What checks and balances were in place before hiring this person?
The individual held a Working with Children Check at the time of their employment. Our recruitment processes cover background and suitability checks, including reference checks and child safety training. We are reviewing our practices to ensure they remain robust and go beyond compliance wherever possible.

7. Why was this person working across multiple centres?
The individual was employed as a permanent part-time educator in August 2024 for a newly built centre which opened in November. During that period, they worked or trained across other centres in the network or where support was needed. While this is a common operational practice in the sector, we are now reviewing how these movements are managed through a stronger child safety lens.

8. Why has the information about which centres he worked at changed since it was first published by police?
Since being briefed on the matter, we have been undertaking a thorough review of our employment and staffing data and have shared any further information from that process with authorities. We are committed to transparency and will support the release of accurate information by the relevant authorities.

9. What additional safety measures are being taken?
Affinity is implementing a range of safety measures including:

Ensure and plan refresher mandatory training for every Affinity employee across Australia on child safety policies, practices and legal obligations.
Review centre layouts to identify and rectify blind spots.
Audit visibility into all care areas, including toileting and nappy change spaces.
Review and update policies to limit educators from working alone with children by including rostering, grouping and spot checks of supervision protocols in every centre.
Investigate and support faster digitisation and centralisation of paper-based staff records when staff complete orientation visits, training and staff meetings, or split shifts across multiple centres.
Formal consultations with our teams, parents and regulators on additional safety measures.

Affinity has implemented a number of strengthened safety measures already including a ban on the use of personal devices which has been in place since 2023.

10. Are you considering putting in CCTV in all centres?
Some centres have CCTV as part of broader safety and security measures, and we are currently reviewing our practices and coverage of CCTV in our centres.

11. Why do you employ male educators?
We believe children benefit from a diverse and inclusive workforce, which includes male educators. All staff – regardless of gender – are subject to the same rigorous screening and monitoring processes. We do not tolerate any form of abuse or misconduct from any educator.

12. Why are Storypark posts and photos being removed?
Some images from Storypark have been removed at the request of families. However, all images have been shared with Police. The images have been archived, not permanently deleted.

13. When will a full list of centres this individual worked at be made public?
As this is an ongoing and active investigation, that is a matter for Victoria Police. We understand they are directly contacting families they believe may be impacted. Families can contact the dedicated police advice line on 1800 791 241, or visit vic.gov.au/childcare-centres-investigation.

14. Has Affinity been contacted by authorities about specific children or centres?
The relevant authorities are directly contacting families they believe may have been impacted.

15. How is Affinity supporting families and staff right now?
We have activated additional wellbeing and support services across our network. If you or your child need support, please speak with your Centre Director or access our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and affiliated family support resources. A dedicated Affinity support phone line for both employees and families is available – 1800 971 573.

16. What should I do if I have concerns or information?
Please contact Victoria Police directly via their advice line on 1800 791 241. You can also speak to your Centre Manager if you’d like support or reassurance. We understand how confronting this news has been and are committed to doing everything we can to support our families, our team members, and the broader community.

Previous Updates

Statement: 9 July 2025

We are deeply distressed by the nature of the charges laid against an individual who has worked in Affinity centres, Joshua Brown. We understand the concern and anxiety this news has caused within our community, not only for those directly involved, but for all families who entrust us with the care of their children.

Affinity CEO Tim Hickey said, “I am deeply sorry for the distress this is causing our families – no family should have to go through this.

“We are committed to supporting every family impacted and will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities as the investigation continues.

“We also welcome any review of regulation that strengthens safeguards, enhances accountability, and ensures the highest standards of safety and care for every child. Our educators and staff share the deep concern over failings when they occur in the early childhood education and care sector. The safety, wellbeing, and development of every child must always come first”.

��ר�� has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse or misconduct involving children.

The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is – and always will be – our highest priority.

Affinity is introducing a strengthened suite of safety measures, building on our existing protocols already in place across Affinity centres, including:

Fast-tracking the installation of CCTV across all centres to enhance supervision and safety.
Seeking parental preference regarding who assists their child with toileting or nappy changes.
Rolling out personal device lock boxes nationally, following successful trials in NSW, requiring staff to securely store their personal devices before commencing shifts.
Refresher mandatory training for every Affinity employee across Australia on child safety policies, practices and legal obligations.
Reviewing centre layouts to identify and rectify blind spots as well as auditing visibility into all care centres.
Formal consultations with our teams, parents and regulators on additional safety measures.

These initiatives will further enhance the child safe measures already in place across Affinity’s network of centres, these include:

Personal device ban: A policy has been in place since 2023 that prohibits personal devices in rooms while working with children.
Enhanced employment screening: All educators and staff undergo relevant checks, including current Working with Children Checks (WWCC), and validation of qualifications, in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.
Comprehensive Child Safety Policies: Our Health and Safety Policy outlines our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the physical and psychological health, safety, and wellbeing of all children, families, employees, and visitors.
Child Safety and Protection Procedures: We have clear procedures to assist employees, students, volunteers, and families in understanding and following legislative requirements related to identifying and responding to children and young people at risk of harm, abuse, and/or neglect.
Ongoing Training and Education: Our educators receive regular training on child protection, behaviour management, and ethical responsibilities to ensure they are equipped to provide the highest standard of care.
Secure Environments: We implement safety protocols that go beyond regulatory requirements, including secure entry systems, regular safety checks, and emergency drills, to create a safe and nurturing environment for your child.
Transparent Communication: We maintain open lines of communication with families, providing regular updates and being available to discuss any concerns you may have.

Since being briefed on this matter on 1 July 2025, we have been undertaking a comprehensive review of our employment and staffing records, as well as other relevant data.

We continue to cooperate fully with authorities as the investigation progresses. This includes providing relevant information and data from this ongoing review to assist Victoria Police in updating families on the childcare centres where the alleged offender worked. We are complying with all directions from Victoria Police and remain fully committed to supporting the ongoing investigations in every possible way.

The steps we have taken to support these efforts include working closely with Police to ensure they have the information they require, including both historical and current information, data and analysis that may assist the investigation.

This has involved:

Reviewing rosters and attendance logs
Collation of relevant data and communications
Cross-checking across different systems and data platforms

We share the urgency in ensuring that affected families receive accurate and timely information.

We are committed to transparency while at the same time following all directions from authorities, noting this is an ongoing and active police investigation.

We recognise that this is a deeply distressing situation for families and the wider community, both in Victoria and across the country. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding as we work closely with the authorities to address these concerns.

Tim's Letter to Families: 7 July 2025

Dear families,

We are deeply distressed by the nature of the charges laid this week against an individual who has worked in Affinity centres, Joshua Brown. We understand the concern and anxiety this news has caused within our community, not only for those directly involved, but for all families who entrust us with the care of their children.

��ר�� has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse or misconduct involving children. The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is – and always will be – our highest priority.

Please be assured, we are cooperating fully with the investigation, and at the time of writing to you, we have not been informed by Victorian Police of any charges laid relating to the individual’s period of employment with Affinity from 14 August 2024 to 15 May 2025, with the last day he attended any Affinity premises being 12 May 2025.

We reviewed our employment records in detail to ensure completeness and have provided this to the authorities. ��ר�� continues to cooperate fully with authorities and stand ready to assist their investigation in any way required.

A Working with Children Check (WWCC) and a police check were in place at the time of employment.

Children in our centres are actively supervised by qualified educators, with clear policies in place to ensure they are always within sight and hearing distance to support their safety, wellbeing, and engagement. We have established comprehensive systems and policies to create a secure and nurturing environment:

Employment Screening: All educators and staff undergo thorough and relevant checks, including current Working with Children Checks (WWCC), in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.
Comprehensive Child Safety Policies: Our Health and Safety Policy outlines our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the physical and psychological health, safety, and wellbeing of all children, families, employees, and visitors.
Child Safety and Protection Procedures: We have clear procedures to assist employees, students, volunteers, and families in understanding and following legislative requirements related to identifying and responding to children and young people at risk of harm, abuse, and/or neglect.
Ongoing Training and Education: Our educators receive regular training on child protection, behaviour management, and ethical responsibilities to ensure they are equipped to provide the highest standard of care.
Secure Environments: We implement safety protocols that go beyond regulatory requirements, including secure entry systems, regular safety checks, and emergency drills, to create a safe and nurturing environment for your child.
Transparent Communication: We maintain open lines of communication with families, providing regular updates and being available to discuss any concerns you may have.

We are focused on supporting our people and the families in our centres. We have activated additional wellbeing services and provided guidance to our centre leaders to help them support their teams and families.

The Victorian Government encourage families to contact the dedicated advice line on 1800 791 241. Relevant authorities are directly contacting families who may have been impacted. If you have information to share with the Police, they have urged families to contact Crime Stoppers on www.crimestoppersvic.com.au or via 1800 333 000.

I know this is a distressing time for our community, both in Victoria and around the country, and I appreciate your patience and understanding as we work with the authorities.

We absolutely welcome reviews of regulation to strengthens safeguards, enhance accountability, and ensure the highest standards of safety and care for every child.

I want to sincerely thank the families who have contacted us, and our team is working through every enquiry with care. We remain committed to being as open and transparent as possible during this difficult time. If you have questions, please contact our Family Support Centre on 1800 971 573.

Yours sincerely,

Tim Hickey
Chief Executive Officer

Statement: 3 July 2025

This morning ��ר�� completed a further review of shift information which has been provided to the Victorian Police. ��ר�� continues to cooperate fully with authorities and remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of the children and families in our care.

Affinity welcomes any review of regulation that strengthens safeguards, enhances accountability, and ensures the highest standards of safety and care for every child. Our people share the deep concern over failings when they occur in the early childhood education and care sector. The safety, wellbeing, and development of every child must always come first.

We can confirm that all mandatory employment and background checks, including a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC), were in place and compliant with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements at the time of employment of the individual.

��ר�� has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse or misconduct involving children. Again, the safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is – and always will be – our highest priority.

Our immediate focus is on supporting our people and the families in our centres. We have activated additional wellbeing services and provided guidance to our centre leaders to help them support their teams and communicate with families.

Families can contact Victoria Police directly through their dedicated advice line on 1800 791 241 for further information, and we understand that relevant authorities are directly contacting families who may have been impacted.

Statement: 2 July 2025

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of child harm. The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is – and always will be – our highest priority.

We are deeply distressed by the nature of the charges laid against the individual named in media reports by the Victorian Police. We are cooperating fully with authorities and stand ready to assist their investigation in any way required.

Families can contact Victoria Police directly on their dedicated advice line on 1800 791 241, and we understand relevant authorities are directly contacting families who may have been impacted.

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Media Statement – May 2025

��ר�� — Mon, 12 May 2025 00:44:30 +0000

RESPONSE FROM AFFINITY EDUCATION GROUP CEO TIM HICKEY TO ABC TV’s 7:30 PROGRAM

“These are very serious and troubling matters. I want to express again how profoundly sorry I am that something like this could occur to any child in our care. It is something that never should have happened.

“I would like to reassure families we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of child harm and will dismiss employees found to be in breach of this safeguard, as well as engage with external agencies up to and including police where required.

“Our people share the deep concern over failings when they occur in the early childhood education and care sector. The safety, wellbeing, and development of every child must always come first. I am personally committed to doing everything in our power to honour the trust that families place in us through transparency, accountability and an unwavering focus on quality care.

“While even a single failing is one too many, it is also important to acknowledge these incidents are not representative of the dedicated, professional team who care for children every day across thousands of centres. The vast majority of people who work in early education, including those at Affinity, are deeply committed to nurturing, protecting, and educating children with compassion and integrity.

“To support our commitment to the children in our care, Affinity invests back, with over $70 million of capital spent on compliance, training, safety, care, systems and processes across our network over the past three years. We also reinvest in the professional development of our educators, including through our Affinity Learning Academy, a key sector differentiator and a widely-recognised development pathway that has helped more than 2,200 educators attain nationally recognised qualifications since 2017, and through our funded Bachelor degrees in the Affinity Teacher Scholarship pathway that was launched in 2019.

“I would like to reassure all families, and our team, of the care and concern with which we treat matters like this. We will strengthen the trust families have in us by continuing to act with integrity and our ongoing investment in the quality of our centres and people, at the same time as continuing to work closely with regulators to improve standards.”

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Media Statement

��ר�� — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:48:07 +0000

Statement from ��ר��

The issues raised by ABC TV’s Four Corners program about Australia’s childcare sector are deeply concerning.

Affinity treats all compliance and safety incidents at our centres extremely seriously and is committed to upholding the highest standards of care for children.

We have a zero tolerance policy for any form of child harm and will terminate the employment of any employee found to be in breach of this safeguard. That includes a strong commitment to a robust reporting culture, where we actively support, encourage and expect all members of our team to ‘speak up’ and raise any concerns or issues both within centres and to management.

The matters relating to individual Affinity centres raised by Four Corners have been investigated and will continue to be addressed through actions being taken to improve the consistency of standards across our network.

Over the past three years, Affinity has invested over $70 million in compliance, safety, care, systems and processes. Our centre performance is independently assessed under the National Quality Standards (NQS) and more than 90 per cent of Affinity centres are rated at Meeting or Exceeding NQS.

Our highest priority remains ensuring safety while delivering best-practice early education outcomes and nurturing the children we care for.

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Child Safety in Action: The Steps We’re Taking Across ����ר��