Childcare in Crisis: When Profit Trumps Children's Safety
It's almost too hard to say out loud—unimaginable really. But it’s happening right now in Australia’s childcare centres. I’m talking about abuse, neglect, and a complete failure of oversight in a system that’s meant to protect our most vulnerable—our children.
Imagine sending your baby off to a childcare centre, trusting they’ll be safe, cared for, and nurtured. Now imagine discovering that trust has been violated in the most disturbing ways. Children strapped into high chairs for hours, force-fed until they vomit. Babies left in soiled nappies, crying endlessly with no one there to soothe them. Even more horrifying—educators caught on camera slapping a crying infant while laughing about it.
This isn't a dystopian story—it’s reality. A reality exposed by years of neglect, weak regulation, and a booming industry driven by one thing: profit.
Recently, a male childcare worker, Joshua Dale Brown, was charged with over 70 counts of child sexual abuse. He worked across 20 childcare centres, many under big for-profit names like G8 Education and Affinity Education. The response? Almost 1200 families were urged to get their children tested for sexually transmitted infections. That’s not just shocking—it’s catastrophic.
What’s worse, many of these providers are funded by taxpayer dollars. The government hands out $14 billion in childcare subsidies each year, and a significant chunk goes to private companies who are slashing costs, paying low wages, and increasing staff turnover—all to boost profits. Some centres reportedly spend just $1 a day on meals per child. $1.
Parents, understandably, are furious. Some didn’t even know their child had crossed paths with alleged abusers because the government’s communication was so poor. In some cases, families were turned away from test sites because they weren’t on the initial list of affected centres. And while the government scrambles to put out fires, children are paying the price.
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This crisis goes beyond isolated cases. It's systemic. The National Quality Standards meant to rate centres are failing—some centres haven’t been assessed in nearly a decade. Regulators are underpowered and underfunded. Some centres rack up hundreds of breaches and still remain open. It’s as if enforcement is optional.
Affinity Education, for instance, had over 1,100 breaches in NSW between 2021 and 2024—yet received just nine infringement notices. That’s less than $2,000 in fines. And still, they were allowed to expand.
This isn’t childcare. It’s child harm wrapped in corporate branding.
Let’s be clear—there are good educators and providers out there. People who genuinely care and do their best every day. But they’re drowning in a system rigged against them. A system where KPIs prioritize occupancy over wellbeing, and children are viewed as revenue.
What we need now is not just another review or another media statement. We need sweeping reform—a national childcare commission, a full-scale independent inquiry, even a royal commission. Anything less is just lip service.
If we could act swiftly on banking misconduct with a royal commission, why are we hesitating when it comes to protecting children?
The truth is painful. But it's a truth we can’t ignore any longer. Until we stop putting profit over safety, Australia's childcare sector will remain a breeding ground for negligence, abuse, and broken trust.
And our children deserve better. Much better.
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