The Victorian Nationals and Liberals have secured an independent investigation into the state’s childcare regulator after serious allegations emerged of child sexual abuse in Victorian childcare centres.
The Legislative Council passed a motion moved by the Liberals and Nationals which will see the Victorian Ombudsman conduct a full investigation into the performance of the quality Assessment and Regulation Division (QARD), the regulator for managing safety and compliance in early childhood education.
It comes after the Allan Labor Government blocked reforms proposed by the Liberals and Nationals in the lower house this week that would have strengthened Victoria’s Working with Children Checks.
The Nationals’ Member for Shepparton, Kim O’Keeffe, has strongly condemned the Allan Labor Government for its failure to tackle the serious and ongoing issues plaguing Victoria’s childcare sector.
“For three years Labor knew there were serious, widespread deficiencies in QARD’s oversight announcement mechanisms, and for three years did nothing.
“Rather than collaborating with the Liberals and Nationals to put children’s safety first, the Allan Labor Government is blocking the very opportunity for immediate change including strengthening working with children checks,” Ms O’Keeffe said.
The Ombudsman Report will consider the following:
- Alarming reports of child sexual abuse linked to one individual who worked across at least 24 childcare centres, prompting over 2,000 children to undergo testing;
- The failure of the Allan Labor Government to act on a 2022 Ombudsman Report that described Victoria’s Working With Children Check system as among the weakest in the nation;
- The lack of mandatory training for applicants and the absence of a centralised register of childcare educators to strengthen oversight;
- A 45 per cent increase in complaints to QARD since 2018, while enforcement actions have plummeted by 67 per cent over the same period;
- The exclusion of QARD from the Allan Labor Government’s Rapid Child Safety Review.
“Despite years of warnings from educators, regulators, and advocates, Victoria’s childcare oversight system allowed a known predator to move between centres undetected for years.
Lapses in reporting, weak enforcement, inadequate background checks, and underregulated staffing practices have all been identified as critical risk factors. In reply, the Liberals and Nationals moved to introduce urgent reforms immediately to strengthen protections for children.
Ms O’Keeffe said that it has been incredibly distressing and heartbreaking with what has occurred, and we must do everything in our power to protect children that are most vulnerable.
“Every parent sends their child to childcare expecting them to be protected, nurtured, and safe. What happened in Victoria is a complete betrayal of that trust.”
