Parents of children who had to be tested for STIs after a childcare worker was accused of dozens of sickening offences have been driven to quit work.

Joshua Dale Brown, 26, has been charged with more than 70 child abuse offences, including the sexual penetration of a child and producing child abuse material.

Last week, an urgent warning from the Victorian Department of Health and Victoria Police horrified the parents of 1,200 children who were told to get them tested for infectious diseases. 

Days later, on Thursday, almost 200 parents filled a room at Sanctuary Lakes Function Centre in Point Cook, in southwest Melbourne, to discuss legal action.

The crowd were very emotional during the event which had been organised by high-profile Victorian law firm Arnold Thomas & Becker.

Principal lawyer Jodie Harris heard from some parents who had to give up work to stay home with their children and have said they are ‘suffering their own mental health conditions’.

She said they are ‘so concerned that they’ve put their child in a position where they may have been abused’.

‘A major red flag for us in considering actions on behalf of families is just the sheer amount of access (Brown) had one-on-one with children to allow this alleged offending to occur.’

The lawyer said the firm will be starting legal proceedings in the ‘very near future’, but added they are unsure whether it will be a class action suit.

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