More than 800 children will be urged to undergo testing for infectious diseases after authorities discovered an alleged sex offender worked at four additional childcare centres.
Authorities are working to contact the families whose children attended the centres during Joshua Dale Brown's employment between August 2024 and February 2025.
The newly listed locations, all operated by Affinity Education, include Kids Academy Waratah Estate in Mickleham, as well as Milestones Early Learning centres in Tarneit, Greensborough, and Braybrook.
Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight children younger than two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne’s southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023.
Police believe Brown worked at 23 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025, stretching from Williamstown to Sunbury.
Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath confirmed 830 additional families would be contacted, adding to the 1200 who have already been urged to undergo precautionary testing.
“This is obviously a highly distressing situation, and I want to reassure all families being contacted that the potential exposure risk to an infectious disease for their child remains low," Dr McGrath said on Tuesday.
Police have released an amended list of dates and locations, including Papilio Early Learning in Essendon, where they have extended the reported period of employment by six months.
Authorities no longer believe the accused worked at Papilio Early Learning in Hoppers Crossing between August 22, 2024, and March 12, 2025.
"Where additional dates have been identified, impacted families will be contacted by the Department of Health from July 15, 2025," Victoria Police said in a statement.
"A key focus of the investigation has been establishing a complete work history for Brown.
"This has been extremely complex due to Childcare Approved providers not having centralised records, requiring detectives to execute search warrants to obtain handwritten records, shift rosters and other critical information."
Since the charges came to light on July 1, police have received more than 270 Crime Stoppers reports.
An Affinity Education Group spokesperson said the company had undertaken a comprehensive review of employment and staffing records, as well as other relevant data.
"This included providing relevant information from our ongoing review to assist Victoria Police in updating families on the childcare centres where the alleged offender worked," the spokesperson said.
"We understand that relevant authorities are directly contacting families whose children may be impacted. We are deeply sorry for the distress this is causing our families, no family should have to go through this."
It has been revealed Brown was the subject of two separate internal investigations at G8 Education, both unrelated to sexual abuse and occurring after the alleged incidents he was charged over.
The investigations took place before his employment with the Affinity Education Group, which stated it was unaware of them.
The two events were substantiated and reported to state authorities but Brown's working with children certificate remained in place.
Melody Glaister’s daughter, now six, attended the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook during Brown's employment at the centre.
She told AAP she was "furious" to learn of the earlier abuse allegations, and outraged that he was allowed to retain his approval to work with children despite them.
"If the appropriate action had been taken, it's very likely there would be hundreds of parents right now that wouldn't be in the same situation," she said.
Acting Premier Jaclyn Symes was asked on Monday why the complaints had not triggered Brown to lose his working with children check.
Victoria's rapid child safety review would consider if a complaint or allegation should trigger the permit to be suspended or cancelled, she said.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
