Overview
- Linda Howlett told the inquiry many childcare providers hesitate to report abuse to police because they fear staff losing their jobs or damaging the centre’s reputation.
- She warned that offenders often engage in “centre shopping,” moving between facilities and states until they find weak protections.
- Centres conducting their own investigations risk contaminating evidence and undermining specialist police interviews with victims and suspects.
- Police are calling for a centralised red-flag database, mandatory two-person supervision during high-risk activities and expanded CCTV coverage across centres.
- State and federal ministers are debating proposals for a national educator register, unannounced inspections and stricter regulatory checks to address systemic gaps.