<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian states have begun moving to review and reform their childcare sectors in light of the alleged sexual assaults at an early learning centre in Melbourne, but advocates say the federal government needs to step up.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This week's announcement that 26-year-old Melbourne man </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-childcare-worker-charged-with-over-70-child-sex-offences-affected-centres/f2cc2b4e-9508-4409-b3e8-5cb69e2dbd5e" rel="" target="_blank" title="Joshua Dale Brown allegedly committed 70 offences against eight children"><span>Joshua Dale Brown allegedly committed 70 offences against eight children</span></a><span> while working under a valid children's check at the Creative Gardens Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023 has prompted scrutiny of the early education sector.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>New national child safety rules, including a ban on personal devices and reducing mandatory reporting from seven days to 24 hours, are still months away from coming into effect, despite the Child Safety Review being handed down in 2023.</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/national/bat-lyssavirus-australian-man-dies-first-recorded-case-in-new-south-wales/5cd2ef02-10ad-446c-aaf4-22e18089feb5" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Australian man dies after contracting 'extremely rare' bat lyssavirus</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Works are also under way to develop a national childcare registry. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said she would not wait for the federal government, and instead move forward with state versions of the childcare registry and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/community-expresses-disgust-at-alleged-childcare-rapist-as-urgent-review-launched/ecf4dda8-7f8a-435f-93ea-43f7fd152b74" rel="" target="_blank" title="personal device ban"><span>personal device ban</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She also announced </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-premier-jacinta-allan-orders-urgent-review-into-childcare-safety/7d66a966-61ed-4d57-9a3f-d9349b95bb26" rel="" target="_blank" title='a "short and sharp" review'><span>a "short and sharp" review</span></a><span> into childcare safety, promising to adopt every recommendation as soon as possible.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/joshua-brown-call-for-unified-response-to-alleged-childcare-sexual-assaults/1992d57c-176b-4eda-b2d4-cc1fbeb692e7" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>WA Education Minister Sabine Winton followed suit today, ordering the state's education and care regulatory unit conduct a "snap review" into the childcare sector.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Cases such as these are disturbing and understandably distressing for parents," a spokesperson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Every parent has a right to know their children are going to be safe at an early learning service."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NSW Premier Chris Minns moved to ban people from appealing a denial of a working with children's check after reports that sex offenders had gained the checks on appeal.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think it makes a mockery of the working with children check and is a loophole that cannot exist," he said yesterday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Queensland is reviewing its system responses to child sexual abuse following the life imprisonment of one of Australia's worst paedophile, childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith.</span></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/national/driver-appeals-sentence-over-deadly-wedding-bus-crash/98411185-3e7c-43e2-91e2-22e3b5a43183" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Driver appeals sentence over deadly wedding bus crash</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But industry bodies said the issue lies with differing rules and requirements in each state and territory and called for the nationalisation and unification of the education sector.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Act For Kids chief executive Katrina Lines said it was disappointing there was no uniform implementation of recommendations handed down from past inquiries, including the 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That makes it really tricky to have any consistency," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What we need is the federal government to take the lead about how we are going to keep children safe in this country, and the minimum set of standards that everybody has to abide by."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds said the alleged sexual assault incidents across Melbourne "won't be the last" unless the federal government implements those recommendations, a national cabinet and a children's minister.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The childcare industry requires much stronger regulation, independent monitoring and oversight, and comprehensive enforceable child safeguarding measures," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lines added that work also needed to be done to reform workplace culture.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It can be really difficult to identify worrying behaviours in a co-worker, because people who are targeting children also groom the adults around them," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Having ongoing training and support for workers is really important, but we have a childcare system where we're struggling to get workers."</span></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/national/gst-increase-lead-accountancy-body-calls-for-change/e1d69873-3a9c-4bb0-933a-e77a66fd5e53" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>The 'grown-up conversation' we need to have about the GST</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Education Minister Jason Clare conceded "there's more to do".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is serious, and it requires serious action," he said yesterday. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span></span></strong><span>"It's taken too long to do the work necessary to make sure that our working with children check system is up to scratch.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's only one of the things that we need to focus on here if we're serious about making sure that we keep our kids."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Clare added that the country's education ministers are working on a package of reforms to make childcare and early education centres as safe as possible.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He had also previously stated he would introduce legislation that would cut funding from childcare centres that do not meet safety and the quality standards.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Coalition has indicated it will support any child safety measures the government puts to parliament when it meets next week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Support is available from the</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>at</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/" rel="" target="" title="https://www.1800respect.org.au/"><strong><span>1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)</span></strong></a><strong><span>.</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.</span></strong></div></div>