Parent of alleged childcare sex-abuse victim to sueWilliam TonAAPTue, 8 July 2025 3:10PM
A parent of a child allegedly sexually abused by a childcare worker is suing the daycare provider as more than 100 families seek advice about their legal options.
It comes after Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences over the alleged abuse of eight children aged under two at a Point Cook childcare in Melbourne.
The 26-year-old was arrested in May and it was revealed he worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025.
A parent of a victim at the Creative Garden childcare centre was suing the daycare provider and parents from every listed impacted facility had sent inquiries, law firm Arnold, Thomas and Becker confirmed.
Principal lawyer Jodie Harris said the firm was acting on behalf of the parent who was seeking damages. The parent has had to alter their work arrangements to care for the child because of the psychological impact.
Ms Harris said more than 100 families had contacted the law firm over a range of queries, but a class action was yet to be confirmed.
“The level of inquiry we’ve had has been so overwhelming. It’s been difficult,” she told AAP.
The firm is looking into the cases but said there was complexity because of the number of different childcare centres involved and their potential liabilities.
“We can’t have one class action that covers all childcare centres because there are different issues that involve each case,” Ms Harris said.
An estimated 2600 families and carers who had children at the centres during Brown’s employment have been sent letters.
More than 1200 children have been recommended to undergo testing for infectious diseases.
Ms Harris said parents were calling her firm angry their children had been put in such a distressing position.
Some were parents who had been given evidence their children had been abused by the alleged offender.
“Those parents are absolutely devastated to think their vulnerable children, that they put their trust in other people to act, in effect, as parents whilst they went out to earn a living, and their children have been abused,” Ms Harris said.
She said any legal claims were in respect to the parents because it could take many years to fully understand the impact on children who had been abused.
“It is difficult because the children are so young and it’s not like they could go home and tell their parents what had happened,” Ms Harris said.
“Abuse that occurs in a child’s life has lifelong impacts potentially on education, employment and relationships.”
Other law firms, including Shine Lawyers and Maurice Blackburn, have received dozens of inquiries from parents and are providing legal advice.
“The grief and despair they’re experiencing has been coupled with a white-hot rage directed at the alleged perpetrator and a system which is clearly broken,” Shine Lawyers chief operating officer Jodie Willey said.
Arnold, Thomas and Becker is holding an information session at Century Lakes Function Centre on Thursday to provide parents with advice.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails
Read more on The West Australian
