This statement was first published 2 July 2025 and updated 7 July 2025.
We are deeply distressed by the nature of the charges laid this week against an individual who has worked in Affinity centres, Joshua Brown. We understand the concern and anxiety this news has caused within our community, not only for those directly involved, but for all families who entrust us with the care of their children.
Affinity Education Group has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse or misconduct involving children. The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is – and always will be – our highest priority.
Please be assured, we are cooperating fully with the investigation, and at the time of writing to you, we have not been informed by Victorian Police of any charges laid relating to the individual’s period of employment with Affinity from 14 August 2024 to 15 May 2025, with the last day he attended any Affinity premises being 12 May 2025.
We reviewed our employment records in detail to ensure completeness and have provided this to the authorities. Affinity Education continues to cooperate fully with authorities and stand ready to assist their investigation in any way required.
A Working with Children Check (WWCC) and a police check were in place at the time of employment.
Children in our centres are actively supervised by qualified educators, with clear policies in place to ensure they are always within sight and hearing distance to support their safety, wellbeing, and engagement. We have established comprehensive systems and policies to create a secure and nurturing environment:
- Employment Screening: All educators and staff undergo thorough and relevant checks, including current Working with Children Checks (WWCC), in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.
- Comprehensive Child Safety Policies: Our Health and Safety Policy outlines our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the physical and psychological health, safety, and wellbeing of all children, families, employees, and visitors.
- Child Safety and Protection Procedures: We have clear procedures to assist employees, students, volunteers, and families in understanding and following legislative requirements related to identifying and responding to children and young people at risk of harm, abuse, and/or neglect.
- Ongoing Training and Education: Our educators receive regular training on child protection, behaviour management, and ethical responsibilities to ensure they are equipped to provide the highest standard of care.
- Secure Environments: We implement safety protocols that go beyond regulatory requirements, including secure entry systems, regular safety checks, and emergency drills, to create a safe and nurturing environment for your child.
- Transparent Communication: We maintain open lines of communication with families, providing regular updates and being available to discuss any concerns you may have.
We are focused on supporting our people and the families in our centres. We have activated additional wellbeing services and provided guidance to our centre leaders to help them support their teams and families.
The Victorian Government encourage families to contact the dedicated advice line on 1800 791 241. Relevant authorities are directly contacting families who may have been impacted. If you have information to share with the Police, they have urged families to contact Crime Stoppers on www.crimestoppersvic.com.au or via 1800 333 000.
I know this is a distressing time for our community, both in Victoria and around the country, and I appreciate your patience and understanding as we work with the authorities.
We absolutely welcome reviews of regulation to strengthens safeguards, enhance accountability, and ensure the highest standards of safety and care for every child.
I want to sincerely thank the families who have contacted us, and our team is working through every enquiry with care. We remain committed to being as open and transparent as possible during this difficult time. If you have questions, please contact our Family Support Centre on 1800 971 573.
Yours sincerely,
Tim Hickey
Chief Executive Officer
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When was the individual employed by Affinity?
The individual was employed from 13 August 2024 to 15 May 2025.
2. Did he work at all with my child?
Families are invited to speak to their Centre Manager, or you can also call our Family Support Team on 1800 244 532 or email [email protected].
3. When did Affinity first become aware of this individual’s alleged illegal activity?
We were briefed on nature of the charges against this individual on 1 July 2025, when they were publicly reported. As of today, we have not been advised by Victoria Police of any charges or allegations specifically relating to the individual’s time at this centre.
4. Why did Affinity not tell parents sooner?
The matter was subject to strict legal suppression orders until it was made public on 1 July 2025. Affinity has fully cooperated with authorities at every stage and continues to do so. We have complied with legal and regulatory requirements, including directions around confidentiality. Our focus has been – and remains on supporting our teams, complying with the investigation and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the children in our care.
5. Why didn’t Affinity act sooner?
As soon as we became aware of the matter, we provided relevant records to the authorities. We continue to cooperate fully with the investigation.
6. What checks and balances were in place before hiring this person?
The individual held a Working with Children Check at the time of their employment. Our recruitment processes cover background and suitability checks, including reference checks and child safety training. We are reviewing our practices to ensure they remain robust and go beyond compliance wherever possible.
7. Why was this person working across multiple centres?
The individual was employed as a permanent part-time educator in August 2024 for a newly built centre which opened in November. During that period, they worked or trained across other centres in the network or where support was needed. While this is a common operational practice in the sector, we are now reviewing how these movements are managed through a stronger child safety lens.
8. Why has the information about which centres he worked at changed since it was first published by police?
Since being briefed on the matter, we have been undertaking a thorough review of our employment and staffing data and have shared any further information from that process with authorities. We are committed to transparency and will support the release of accurate information by the relevant authorities.
9. What additional safety measures are being taken?
Affinity is implementing a range of safety measures including:
- Ensure and plan refresher mandatory training for every Affinity employee across Australia on child safety policies, practices and legal obligations.
- Review centre layouts to identify and rectify blind spots.
- Audit visibility into all care areas, including toileting and nappy change spaces.
- Review and update policies to limit educators from working alone with children by including rostering, grouping and spot checks of supervision protocols in every centre.
- Investigate and support faster digitisation and centralisation of paper-based staff records when staff complete orientation visits, training and staff meetings, or split shifts across multiple centres.
- Formal consultations with our teams, parents and regulators on additional safety measures.
Affinity has implemented a number of strengthened safety measures already including a ban on the use of personal devices which has been in place since 2023.
10. Are you considering putting in CCTV in all centres?
Some centres have CCTV as part of broader safety and security measures, and we are currently reviewing our practices and coverage of CCTV in our centres.
11. Why do you employ male educators?
We believe children benefit from a diverse and inclusive workforce, which includes male educators. All staff – regardless of gender – are subject to the same rigorous screening and monitoring processes. We do not tolerate any form of abuse or misconduct from any educator.
12. Why are Storypark posts and photos being removed?
Some images from Storypark have been removed at the request of families. However, all images have been shared with Police. The images have been archived, not permanently deleted.
13. When will a full list of centres this individual worked at be made public?
As this is an ongoing and active investigation, that is a matter for Victoria Police. We understand they are directly contacting families they believe may be impacted. Families can contact the dedicated police advice line on 1800 791 241, or visit vic.gov.au/childcare-centres-investigation.
14. Has Affinity been contacted by authorities about specific children or centres?
The relevant authorities are directly contacting families they believe may have been impacted.
15. How is Affinity supporting families and staff right now?
We have activated additional wellbeing and support services across our network. If you or your child need support, please speak with your Centre Director or access our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and affiliated family support resources. A dedicated Affinity support phone line for both employees and families is available – 1800 971 573.
16. What should I do if I have concerns or information?
Please contact Victoria Police directly via their advice line on 1800 791 241. You can also speak to your Centre Manager if you’d like support or reassurance. We understand how confronting this news has been and are committed to doing everything we can to support our families, our team members, and the broader community.