Thursday, 14 August 2025

Early childhood education and care

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:42): (1854) My adjournment is to the Minister for Children, and the action I seek is for the minister to immediately address the systemic flaws and failures in child safety in this state. There is a clear disconnect with this government in acknowledging the important work that needs to be done to protect our most vulnerable – our children. Child safety is under-resourced, and although the government articulates its policies, the practical application highlights that it is all just talk. We only need to look at the over-representation of Aboriginal children within the child protection system and the frequent failures to get these kids and families the safe support that they need to know this is true.

Trauma, particularly experienced in the early stages of a child’s life, needs to be dealt with immediately and effectively, and the child needs to know that they are heard and feel safe to report issues around abuse. The policies developed by the government are clearly not working, and there needs to be an independent watchdog with long-term funding to hold the government and the relevant departments accountable. The recent case of the young male working in various childcare centres who was abusing little children is evidence that the system has failed.

There have been repeated warnings and recommendations to fix the system. These have come from as high up as the Ombudsman’s office and the Commission for Children and Young People over many years. This Labor government’s failure to strengthen working with children checks is a clear example, and that is why the Liberal–National coalition have identified weaknesses such as individuals under active police investigation still being able to obtain checks. Victoria’s working with children system is broken. It is broken because it has loopholes that have been exploited and are continuing to be exploited by those who do our kids harm. Those loopholes need to be closed, and they need to be closed now. The recommendations from the Ombudsman laid out a very clear series of changes that need to occur to make sure that those loopholes can be closed. For example, the working with children regulators should not have to wait for a criminal conviction or a disciplinary finding in the workplace in order to suspend, vary or revoke a working with children clearance.