March 14, 2024 Children are not as safe at childcare as they should be. Here’s what we can do about it Children are not as safe at early education and care as they once were and certainly aren’t as safe as they should be. This…
January 4, 2023 The enviable confidence I now have as an older woman The woman opposite me is inarguably gorgeous. The luminous skin of the young, the lithe figure, the unblemished skin, the teeth white and strong….
June 6, 2022 Three things I’d fix as Australia’s (fantasy) minister for early education and childcare Labor has flagged ‘universal childcare’ as a policy goal – but so much needs to be done for a system on the verge of…
May 17, 2022 The NDIS was a beacon of hope, now it’s this ‘dark, complex thing’ Yes. I have finally done it. I have advocated enough, argued enough, presented enough evidence, gone through enough appeals and tribunals, that my severely…
May 21, 2021 I love the NDIS but fear it is now an ideological plaything for politicians My daughter is lucky to have the disability insurance scheme. But what happens if cost cutting leaves her without the care she needs? So…
August 31, 2018 Importing au pairs is only a solution for the rich. We need childcare for all classes Most of us know that the rich, the powerful and our politicians play in a different world than us. A word in the ear…
August 23, 2018 Dutton childcare cloud exposes problem with entire sector So our possible next prime minister might be ineligible to sit in Parliament because he owns two childcare centres that receive Commonwealth funds. Clearly…
March 26, 2018 Childcare workers’ strike won’t win them a pay rise. Here’s why Early childhood educators and teachers, the people who run our childcare centres will walk off the job today, again, in their pursuit of living…
February 9, 2018 Childcare workers need a pay rise to reflect the importance of the work they do “How much does the average Australian worker earn per hour,” I ask early childhood educators in my work as a childcare consultant. Invariably their…
December 14, 2017 A mother’s love for her baby isn’t a barrier to work. The problem is more complex than that The Barriers. The Impediments. The reason why Australian women participate less in the workforce than countries like the UK, New Zealand, Canada, and Germany….