<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Two former </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/childcare" rel="" target="" title="childcare"><span>childcare</span></a><span> workers have escaped conviction despite admitting to yanking a toddler by their arm and pushing the same child against a wall.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Julie Gay Minter, 55, and Bhawna Joshi, 28, admitted to assaulting an 18-month-old in their care at a western </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/sydney" rel="" target="" title="Sydney"><span>Sydney</span></a><span> childcare centre in October 2025.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Minter ripped a basket out of the child's hand and dragged him into an upright position by his right arm, forcing him to stand on his tiptoes.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/dangerous-and-unacceptable-russian-fighter-jets-target-unarmed-british-spy-plane-in-black-sea-nearmiss/e75eb67d-ed89-4da8-aef0-d27bdd06cca0"><strong><span>Russian jets targeted British spy plane in Black Sea near-miss, UK says</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Her colleague Joshi later backed the same toddler into a wall, pushing him into it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The woman was seen on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/cctv" rel="" target="" title="CCTV"><span>CCTV</span></a><span> after a parent dropping off her child witnessed an incident involving Minter and reported it to the childcare centre.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Both carers were originally charged with five counts of common assault apiece.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/childcare-workers-who-assaulted-toddler-avoid-conviction/a8b158c4-66bf-404b-87d3-92bcb30f121a" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the prosecution withdrew all but one charge for each woman, for which they pleaded guilty, in separate proceedings at Sydney's Blacktown </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/courts" rel="" target="" title="Local Court"><span>Local Court</span></a><span> on Wednesday and today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The victim had reportedly been misbehaving, but was acting in an age-appropriate manner, court documents show.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Judges handed Minter and Joshi two-year community release orders, essentially good behaviour bonds, without </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/crime" rel="" target="" title="criminal"><span>criminal</span></a><span> convictions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Becoming annoyed with children who are behaving unpredictably requires patience, skill and care and needs to be learned", Judge James Howard told Joshi.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/australian-man-dies-machu-picchu-peru/7df3f26c-9b02-4ddc-a416-c305e288d15b" rel="" target="" title="Australian tourist dies after falling during hike on Inca Trail in Peru"><strong><span>Australian tourist dies after falling during hike on Inca Trail in Peru</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You have responsibility and care for children ... allowing that to happen is of some concern."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Both workers were fired after being charged - Minter, who worked in childcare for 20 years, will not return to the industry.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In today's proceedings, Judge Kirk Dailly took Minter's loss of employment into account, emphasising the 55-year-old's "dedication to (her) own family and the children of others".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Children will still be children, and they will still ruffle the feathers of parents and even childcare workers every now and then," Dailly said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ebola-outbreak-plane-to-us-diverted-to-canada-after-alert/30b89325-9136-46be-a75d-fdd60255c3b1" target="_blank"><strong><span>Plane forced to divert over Ebola fears after Congolese passenger boarded 'in error'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was overstepping the mark slightly and shouldn't have been done."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The centre which employed the women, Little Zak's Academy in Doonside, closed weeks after the allegations came to light and has not reopened.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That centre made more headlines after a parent alleged their </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/autism" rel="" target="" title="autistic"><span>autistic</span></a><span> son was locked in a storage shed by another worker in a separate incident not involving Minter or Joshi.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>© AAP 2026</span></div></div>