Background:

Recent events in Victoria’s early childhood sector - particularly the case involving Joshua Brown - have exposed critical gaps in how we protect children.

While two educators are required to open and close a service, it is still legal for one educator to be left alone with up to eleven children or 1 educator to four babies during the day. This practice jeopardises safety, supervision, and accountability.

Quick fixes like cameras or phone bans won’t prevent harm - we need real reform in staffing and oversight.

What we want:

We are demanding that the Victorian Government take immediate action by:

-Mandating that a minimum of two educators be present at all times when children are in care - with no exceptions.

-Enforcing genuine supervision and witness-based care to protect all children.

-Ensuring Nominated Supervisors are actively fulfilling their duty to oversee safety, staff, and daily operations.

-Improving incident reporting systems, and holding leadership accountable for ignored or mishandled investigations.

-Focusing on systemic reform - not superficial fixes like camera installations or phone bans.

We call on the Premier and the Department of Education to urgently review and revise educator-to-child ratio laws and safety policies in early childhood services across Victoria.

👉 Please sign and share this petition. Let’s work together to protect every child, every day.