Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Ministers statements: early childhood education and care

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (13:47): I rise regarding sickening allegations against an individual who worked in childcare centres that emerged over the winter break. At the outset it is important that we are all mindful that there is an active police investigation, and I am advised that I cannot speak to those individual circumstances because any statements we make could jeopardise the process for justice. However, what I can say is that alongside every Victorian I remain horrified by these allegations. It is pure evil. It was only 18 months ago that I was dropping off my own child at child care each morning, and I feel the same anxieties and understand the trust that families make when they ask –

Members interjecting.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Sorry, President. I cannot hear myself, and this is a particularly sensitive matter. I would appreciate –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: We are going to reset the clock. The minister was not being provocative.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: No, she was not. She was not provoking the opposition or any other member in this chamber. Like any other statement, unless the person doing the contribution actually does provoke something, obviously, then it is expected that the minister is heard in silence. I will ask the minister to start from the beginning, please.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: I rise regarding sickening allegations against an individual who worked in childcare centres that emerged over the winter break. At the outset it is important that we are all mindful that there is an active police investigation. I am advised that I cannot speak to those individual circumstances because any statements we make could jeopardise the process for justice. However, what I can say is that alongside every Victorian I remain horrified by these allegations. It is pure evil. It was only 18 months ago that I was dropping off my own child at child care each morning. I feel the anxieties, and I understand the trust when families ask others to help with the care of their children. Victorians must be able to trust that their children are safe in child care.

Child care is regulated as part of a national system, which is important. It is a system bound together by a national framework, the national quality standards, national law and consistent regulation. This is critical, and a huge amount of national reform is underway. However, the nature of the federation means this takes time. But in Victoria we have taken immediate steps. This includes implementing the first phase of a worker register and implementing a personal device ban by 26 September. The workforce register is already in train using established systems, and the first phase will capture over 90 per cent of employees, including casual employees in long day care and kinder. Registration began last week, and already 3456 additional workers have been registered. We have also commissioned an urgent review into child safety in early childhood education and childcare settings and the working with children check in Victoria, and the review is focused on getting advice about the national work that is already progressing and seeing what else we can expedite in Victoria in addition to the register and devices ban already being implemented. The report is due back on Friday 15 August, and we will implement every recommendation.

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (13:51): I move:

That the minister’s statement that she has just made be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.