By Victoria Police
The pledge came after detectives arrested and charged a 26-year-old man in relation to allegations of child sexual abuse at a Melbourne childcare centre.
He was a worker at the centre and had a working with children check (WWCC).
Mr Clare said on Thursday that if the allegations were proven true, then 鈥渢he system has failed these families鈥.
鈥淚t has taken too long for governments to act,鈥 he told Seven鈥檚 Sunrise.
鈥淭his is sickening and it demands serious action. We鈥檝e already taken action around mobile phones in childcare centres and mandatory reporting.
鈥淏ut there鈥檚 more that we have to do 鈥 there鈥檚 a lot more we have to do.鈥
Mr Clare said he would not hesitate to 鈥渃ut off鈥 federal funds to childcare centres that failed to keep children safe.
鈥淧arliament returns later this month 鈥 I鈥檒l introduce a piece of legislation in the (first) fortnight that will cut funding to childcare centres that aren鈥檛 up to scratch when it comes to safety of the children,鈥 he said.
鈥淭he big weapon that the federal government has to wield here is the funding that we provide to childcare centres.
鈥淚t equates to about 70 per cent of the funding that runs a centre and if they鈥檙e not keeping our kids safe, then we need to cut off their funding.鈥
He added there needed 鈥渢o be consequences鈥.
Police in Victoria earlier this week arrested and charged Joshua Dale Brown with more than 70 offences, including child rape and possession of child abuse material.
On Wednesday, police charged a second man, Michael Simon Wilson, 36, with offences relating to child abuse material.
Court documents showed the two men were known to each other but not how.