May 01, 2015
Quality childcare is a good start
To boost the nation’s productivity, the federal government is trying to encourage more women back into the workforce after having a child. There are clear economic benefits in such a policy, which generally has widespread community support.
The accessibility and affordability of childcare is an important consideration for parents in considering whether to rejoin the workforce and has been a major issue for successive governments.
There is no simple solution to tackling skyrocketing childcare prices and at the same time introducing new flexible models of service provision.
Frank Oberklaid is director of the Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. Sarah Wise is the Good Childhood fellow at the University of Melbourne and Berry Street Childhood Institute.