Mayor calls for urgent childcare sector reforms

Published on 04 July 2025

Statement from Mayor of Hobsons Bay, Cr Daria Kellander

I am heartbroken and horrified by the recent news of abuse suffered by children in Victorian daycare centres.

No child should ever experience harm in a place that is supposed to nurture and protect them. We owe it to every family to demand better.

The Victorian Government needs to urgently strengthen child safety measures, including greater scrutiny of employment processes in the early childhood sector.

The current gaps and lines of visibility are unacceptable. Staffing shortages, driven by underfunding, only compound the risk.

Every child deserves safe, well-supported care, and every parent deserves to trust that their child is protected.