Childcare
The collapse of the local private childcare in Australia has me quite concerned. Another childcare centre operator in NSW that runs 36 centres announced itself going into the hands of administrators last night (http://www.theage.com.au/national/second-childcare-company-sinks-into-mire-20081118-6adm.html) And just to clarify, my concern is for the families and children, not Eddy Groves, the other owners and shareholders. Obviously if I was a shareholder I'd be pretty dark on the situation. A lot has been said about whether the privatisation of child care is a good or bad thing overall so I'm not going to rehash that. I am however going to chip in and say that I'm stunned that something so fundamental to the economy as child care, which provides an avenue to get people back to work, as well as providing employment to child care workers themselves doesn't seem to have been regulated. ABC Learning at it's peak looked after 120,000 children! At that size, surely it's a juggernaut worth scrutinizing, in the case that, God forbid, something goes wrong with it and 120,000 kids have to go somewhere else for care, taking people out of the workforce on both sides. I know what it would be like at our house if we lost care for Aurora - I feel sorry for those families who must feel in limbo at the moment...
posted by AndyN at 7:04 PM
1 Comments:
fair. but you're forgetting a few other critical points of childcare.
firsly, and in my books more importantly, childcare is essential not just so parents can get back to PAID work, but it provides access to peer play and socialisation, factors critical for well-balanced little folk and all the socially desirable things that brings.
GOOD childcare is economically important because of social welfare benefits, for the child and parent/s, not simply so the adult/s can attend paid work.
people don't generally put their kids in care for the sheer joy of it; a great proportion of time there's no option. it seems in this whole fiasco the utter emotional struggle that is undergone in order to come to an inevitable conclusion - that is, kid in care - is overlooked.
surely the community - and the media commentating on it - have a broader view of the complexities of parenting/working and balancing the whole show than assuming parents put their kids in care without thinking about it.
despite being lucky and finding brilliant care, it's no easy decision outsourcing your child to go to work. but it's not all money. parents need a break to be good parents; children need to be encouraged to interact with peers and learn social skills they often don't/can't learn in the same way with a parent - we all react and behave differently with strangers. it teaches children to form new relationships and trust bonds; and, speaking from experience, help keep the adult sane.
abc learning was always a profit machine first, childcare centre second. childcare should never be about profit, and always about the children first. governments - local, state and federal - need to pull collective fingers out and provide a service the community needs. and pay workers appropriately for it. it's cheaper for government to provide a service to the community - and it is just that, for the COMMUNITY - than the potential cost in terms of remedial education, health services and disconnected generations if that service disappears.
just some of my two cents worth. and don't start me on paid maternity leave....
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home