The secret childcare scandal

Childcare is expensive but an ABC report also highlights widespread claims of of abuse, neglect and poor standards, so what is going wrong with childcare in Australia?

Childcare workers get their due

The government’s move to increase pay for childcare workers is good social and educational policy, and may prove even better politics.

Extra care spending would almost pay for itself

Extra spending on childcare, aged care and disability care would produce an bigger bang for the buck than most of the extra spending announced in the budget, as well as producing better outcomes for women.

Paid parental leave in the USA and Australia

Korea and Japan win hands down when it comes to fathers’ parental leave entitlements across OECD nations. Australia is among the worst, and the USA comes last of all, but Australia can learn from the US in terms of ‘primary carer’ preference.

The costs of raising children continues to soar

Researchers from UNSW Sydney have found the costs of raising children in Australia have risen substantially over the past two decades due to changing community expectations of what children need to live a healthy life.