G8 Education announced major safety changes after allegations against former employee Joshua Brown. Photo / Getty Images
G8 Education announced major safety changes after allegations against former employee Joshua Brown. Photo / Getty Images
Australia’s G8 Education has announced major changes across its hundreds of childcare centres after a A$150 million ($163m) wipe-out following alleged paedophile Joshua Brown’s arrest.
The company operates Creative Garden Early Learning Centre at Point Cook in Victoria where Brown, 26, allegedly abused eight children between April 2022 and January2023.
It is alleged some of the children were as young as 5 months.
The company has suffered a A$150m decline in value since the revelation of the allegations.
In a statement to investors on Tuesday, G8 Education announced a broad package of additional safety measures in response to the allegations.
The company confirmed it was accelerating the rollout of CCTV to its 400 centres nationwide following trials in several of their centres.
G8 will also expand its use of Individual Learning Plans to allow parents to nominate preferences about which educators handle their child’s personal care, including nappy changes and toileting.
The substantial reforms come as the company’s stock price continues to sink after the horror allegations, which were announced on July 1.
The company is rolling out CCTV and expanding Individual Learning Plans at its 400 centres. Photo / Facebook
On that day, shares in G8 sold at A$1.20, but at yesterday’s closing bell, the company closed at 94c a share for a market capitalisation of some A$730m.
The fall has wiped about A$150m in value.
G8’s managing director and chief executive Pejman Okhovat said he and his team had been meeting personally with families in Victoria after the allegations against their former employee.
“These allegations are deeply disturbing, and our hearts go out to the children and families involved,” he said.
“I am deeply sorry for the unimaginable pain caused to our families and what they are going through.
“Our primary focus right now is on supporting all families who are impacted, as well as our team members in Victoria.
“We are continuing to work with Victoria Police, the Victorian Government and other authorities as part of their ongoing investigation and are doing everything we can to give them the best chance of achieving justice for the children and families involved.”
Former employee Joshua Dale Brown is facing 70 charges related to alleged offences involving eight children at a childcare centre in Point Cook. Photo / NewsWire
The company has also committed to commissioning an independent review of the incident once the criminal proceedings are concluded, to further strengthen its child safety procedures.
G8 said that, while it already has comprehensive child safety policies in place, including banning devices in childcare rooms, mandatory reporting protocols, and ongoing staff training, it recognises the need to go further.
Beyond its own network, G8 has called for broader sector reform, including the establishment of a national educator register, a unified Working with Children Check across states, and a national register of early childhood workers’ employment history.
Authorities have released the details of all 20 childcare centres where Brown worked, including the dates of his employment.
Parents and caregivers of 1200 children have been directed to have their kids tested for sexually transmitted infections out of an “abundance of caution”.
