PORTLAND, Ore. — Parents at Childswork Learning Center are demanding an independent review of the Southeast Portland preschool’s handling of sexual-abuse allegations against a former employee, after families say they were left uninformed for about six months. The former aide and substitute teacher, 20-year-old Yonathan Ortiz, was arrested Sept. 28. He is accused of sexually abusing a 4-year-old girl and taking inappropriate photographs of another 4-year-old at the school’s Cherry Blossom campus on March 30. Police and prosecutors believe other children may also have been abused. Ortiz faces charges including first-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse, using a child in the display of sexually explicit content and luring a minor. He remained jailed after a judge denied bail Thursday. The allegations have not been proven in court. Childswork said it learned of an allegation in late March and immediately fired Ortiz. The school notified families on Oct. 1, three days after his arrest. In a statement, the center said Portland police had provided limited information and advised the school to use discretion, avoid identifying the alleged victim and not share details. Childswork said it terminated Ortiz and reported the matter to regulators. Portland police acknowledged asking the school to limit what it disclosed while the investigation was underway. Police spokesperson Kevin Allen said in a written statement that differing accounts of the communication were not useful to debate publicly, emphasizing the need to protect children and preserve the investigation. For parents, the delay meant losing months in which they could have spoken with their children, watched for signs of distress and sought support. Eight students have been referred for child-abuse counseling after parents asked them about Ortiz and received responses a lead detective described as “very concerning.” A prosecutor said at least two of the children are likely to be added as victims in the case. Parent Maranda Bish said she could not understand why families were not informed soon after the allegation surfaced. Junyu Johnson, whose son had already graduated, said young children may struggle to remember specific people or events, leaving families uncertain about what happened. In demands released Oct. 7, parents called for an independent investigation into the school’s response, a review of staffing and supervision, more sexual-abuse prevention training and financial help with therapy for affected children. A parent meeting scheduled for Friday evening was expected to include school staff, Portland police and trauma experts. Parents say they want clearer answers about what the school knew, when it knew it and how children will be supported.