G8 Education to Roll Out CCTV and New Parental Preferences In Personal Care Policy In All 400 Centres

In a significant move to strengthen child safety, G8 Education—Australia’s largest private childcare provider—has announced the installation of CCTV systems across all 400 of its centers nationwide and has introduced a new policy allowing families to express preferences regarding which educators provide personal care to their children. 

G8 Education has outlined several immediate and long-term measures:

• CCTV Installation: Fast-tracked across all centres to enhance transparency and monitoring.

• Parental Preferences: Families can now express preferences regarding which educators provide personal care to their children.

• Independent Review: A comprehensive review of internal policies and procedures will be conducted after legal proceedings conclude.

• The decision was prompted by allegations against a former employee, Joshua Dale Brown, who worked at multiple centres in Melbourne, Victoria.

• Although the alleged incidents occurred in Victoria, G8 Education operates centres across Australia, and the CCTV rollout will apply to all locations.

• The company had previously trialed CCTV in select centres and is now accelerating the rollout across its entire network.

Parental Preferences: What G8 Education Is Offering

As part of its strengthened child safety measures, G8 Education has introduced a new policy allowing families to express preferences regarding which educators provide personal care to their children. This includes tasks such as

• Nappy changes

• Toileting

• Bathing (where applicable)

• Other intimate care routines

Why This Matters

This initiative is designed to:

• Empower families to feel more in control of their child’s care.

• Enhance transparency and trust between educators and families.

• Support trauma-informed practices, especially for families with past experiences of abuse or cultural sensitivities.

Health Advisory

Approximately 1,200 children across 20 centres where the accused previously worked have been advised to undergo precautionary STI testing, underscoring the scale of the investigation.

Looking Ahead

This development is likely to influence sector-wide practices, with other providers such as Affinity Education already confirming the presence of CCTV in some centres. The move also raises important questions about how technology, policy, and educator-family relationships intersect in safeguarding children.

Reference:
Childcare giant G8 Education to roll out CCTV following allegations against former employee Joshua Dale Brown