The head of one of Australia’s largest childcare providers has defended the safety record of the massive operation he oversees but apologised for harm to children that took place in his centres.
Challenges facing the heavily scrutinised sector were acknowledged by Affinity Education Group leader Tim Hickey as he fronted a NSW parliamentary inquiry.
Shocking allegations of children being sexually abused, restrained for hours and served low-quality meals at for-profit centres have been revealed by Greens MP Abigail Boyd, who has been scathing of private equity firms investing in providers.
Quadrant Private Equity, which owns furniture giants Amart Furniture and Freedom, bought publicly listed Affinity in 2021 for $650 million.
Ms Boyd peppered Mr Hickey with questions on Tuesday about the real motives of private childcare providers.
“The purpose of private equity, though, isn’t it to cut costs and make profits?” she asked him.
Mr Hickey told the committee: “I don’t work for private equity, I work for Affinity”.
“My job is to sustain profitability in our centres so that we can reinvest back into the educators, back into the centres.”
He argued “the priorities of safety and quality” were at the heart of his business ethos with 23,000 children attending some 250 centres.
Mr Hickey said 90 per cent of centres were meeting or exceeding on the critical quality area and 95 per cent scoring highly on child health and safety.
Affinity was one of the major providers rocked by distressing child abuse allegations in July when former worker Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 offences, including sexual assault.
Brown was known to have worked at 24 facilities between 2017 and 2025, including many run by Affinity.
“I want to express my sincere apology for any child that’s been harmed while they’ve been in our care,” Mr Hickey said.
“That’s an outcome that’s deeply distressing to all of us and unacceptable, quite frankly.
“They’ve caused stress, anxiety, and in some cases, a loss of trust in the very services that should give them peace of mind while they work or study, for educators, many of whom dedicate their lives to caring for children.”
He vowed safety would be enhanced “to a whole new level.”
A federal Productivity Commission report found NSW had more breaches than the rest of the nation combined for five consecutive years.
An independent review by former NSW deputy ombudsman Chris Wheeler in June found the childcare regulator’s performance was hampered by national laws and frameworks.
He praised the NSW government on Tuesday for acting swiftly in reforming the sector with a bill introduced in September that stipulates board members of childcare providers have a duty of care that takes primacy over profits.
“Board members of bodies that have services can’t say well ‘I have an obligation to the shareholders’. Obligation to children is paramount,” Mr Wheeler said.
He told the inquiry that issues in the sector would emerge regardless of how stringent legislation was or measures taken by governments.
“There is no way that you will ever have an environment in which 6500 services in NSW … where there isn’t (a) problem – there will be problems.
“It’s about whether the regulatory authority finds out about it quickly, whether it can react quickly and whether the outcomes are effective.”
Following Mr Wheeler’s review, the NSW government mandated security cameras be installed in childcare centres, safety issues publicised and bigger fines slapped on dodgy operators as part of measures unveiled to keep children safe.
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