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The Forum > General Discussion > AU Pairs a Good Substitute for Formal Childcare?

AU Pairs a Good Substitute for Formal Childcare?

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The Centre for Independent Studies thinks so, saying that au pairs are a good substitute for the"over-priced" and "over-regulated child care incindustry.

CIS claims that there is a growing popularity for au pairs among parents responding to regulation by government that contributes to the continually increasing cost of child minding. Subsidies to this industry rip off $8 billion annually from taxpayers, with children or without, looking after their own children or not.

There are 10,000 au pairs in Australia on working visas doing the job for less than $100 per day parents pay to to the mass minders. The same work could also be taken up by locals.

The child care industry is another example of so-called 'free enterprise' that is really paid for by the government via taxpayers.
Posted by ttbn, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 10:06:58 AM
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I think au pairs are a great solution to the problem of child care. They provide continuous care in the child’s own home, their hours can be changed to suit shift working parents, the kids aren’t exposed daily to the viral smog that exists at all daycares and tends to keep them continually sick with colds, sore throats, gastro etc. .
And financially it’s a winner for parents.
However, I don’t think local people would be interested because the pay is low compared to other careers and it’s really only an option for overseas visitors looking for accomodation and small income whilst they experience a new country.
Posted by Big Nana, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 12:30:47 PM
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as a grandparent I vote the Government pay me to look after my grandies. Oh dear I am being influenced to much by the entitlement mentality. Better turn off the abc.
Posted by runner, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 2:37:45 PM
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//CIS claims that there is a growing popularity for au pairs among parents responding to regulation by government that contributes to the continually increasing cost of child minding. Subsidies to this industry rip off $8 billion annually from taxpayers, with children or without, looking after their own children or not.//

My grandfather raised 7 children on a fitter & turner's wage - my grandmother didn't participate in paid work after she was married, she stayed home and looked after the kids. That was economically viable at the time.

My father raised 5 children on an engineer's salary - Mum picked up the odd bit of part time work here and there once all the kids had finished primary school. That was economically viable at the time.

My sister works as speech pathologist, and her husband as a lawyer. They have three kids, and pay for childcare because it is more economically viable for her to work and pay for childcare than it is for her to take unpaid time off work.

Somewhere along the line something became unstuck in our economic system. I'm not sure what, exactly. I'm sure all the Tories will blame the Lefties, and the Lefties will blame the Tories.

But I know that this reliance on childcare wasn't always a necessity; people used to be able to afford a roof over their head and food on the table without both parents working. And I'm not saying we should go back to the 1950's model of male breadwinner and female housekeeper; I'm quite happy with a female breadwinner and male housekeeper arrangement, or even the breadwinner and housekeeper being of the same sex. But I think it's mental that we've had years and years of economic growth in this country, and seem to have gone backwards since the time when a single wage could support a whole family.

And as for Au Pairs.... hang on, ain't that foreigners takin' our jerbs? I thought Tories generally frowned upon that sort of thing.
Posted by Toni Lavis, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 4:44:23 PM
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Au pairs are not taking any Australian jobs. Read Big Nana's post.
Posted by ttbn, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 7:05:26 PM
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//Au pairs are not taking any Australian jobs. Read Big Nana's post.//

Yeah, I did. But I'll do it again if it keeps you happy.

//However, I don’t think local people would be interested because the pay is low compared to other careers//

Oh, I see... if foreigners take low paying jobs that Big Nana doesn't think 'local people' would be interested in, they're not takin' our jerbs. Well that's good to know. Although frankly, I'm a bit worried about who these 'local people' might be...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meF7NmfnXZ0

I'm assuming that's Big Nana behind the counter in that video.
Posted by Toni Lavis, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 8:29:44 PM
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It is said that the Peter Dutton au pair visa furore is really an attack on the au pair system, which has so far escaped costly regulation by bureaucrats and political meddlers. It is also observed that it is never parents who use their services who call for regulation of an pairs, but other self-interested, non-competitive groups demanding protection and taxpayer money. They don't want competition against their over-priced, over-regulated industry, which is posing as free enterprise, when it would go broke without public money - and which is becoming even more unaffordable for parents by the week.

And of course, the moaners and groaners on au pair visas are the very same ones who cheer on people trying to come here without visas, without jobs, posing as 'refugees’
Posted by ttbn, Thursday, 20 September 2018 9:09:08 AM
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Toni, you don’t even make sense half the time.
I know I’m old and a bit slow but the relevance of that video is beyond me.
I simply cannot see how au pairs from overseas are doing anyone out of a job, because without them the children involved would simply be placed in the overcrowded child care system, where workers don’t get paid based on the number of kids in their care.
Most of the objections to them seem to come from those envious of couples who can afford to employ them, and envy is such an ugly emotion.
Personally I think children are far better off being cared for in their own homes, with continuity from the one carer, and their parents are happier because many of them, like doctors and nurses and small business owners, work shift work. Which makes child care very problematic.
Posted by Big Nana, Thursday, 20 September 2018 10:32:23 AM
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Raised in the own homes, preferably by their own mother. Failing that, someone living with the family who knows the family's values and what they expect from their children (au pairs). Child minding/raising by strangers is responsible for many of the problems kids experience these days. They are bunged into kibbutzes from almost 0 to 5 years of age (a vital period needing the presence of a mother), when they go off to school to be brainwashed with propaganda they have no need to be bothered with until they are much older. They become so used to the thoughts and ideas of strangers that their own parents become the strangers. No wonder society is as crappy as it is these days.

As for taking jobs. Some say that it is Australian politicians that have taken Australian jobs by exporting them to low wage countries. Then there are the jobs that Australians refuse to do (au pairing e.g.) Also think about the fact that, despite the stupid 200,000 annual immigration figure, permanent unemployment still overs around 750,000.
Posted by ttbn, Thursday, 20 September 2018 11:33:08 AM
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Child care is a huge issue for many families.
There's a wait list of 18 months at some local
child-care centres and once they get a place the
costs may swallow up most of someone's salary.

Parents across Australia are faced with the dilemma
and since successive governments have failed to
address the under supply and ever spiralling cost of
child-care - it has become one of today's hottest
political issues.

An au-pair is the cheapest form of child-care. In
Australia most au-pairs are European youngsters on
working holiday visas often on a gap year. They are
worth investigating - not all of them require live-in
accomodation. They are an alternative to Child-Care
Centres.
Posted by Foxy, Thursday, 20 September 2018 4:42:37 PM
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real pity that kids have to be sent off to soviet style camps. Much better to be with caring mums and dads. Oh well, kids come last as usual.
Posted by runner, Thursday, 20 September 2018 4:45:43 PM
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runner,

Any opinion on the topic of this discussion?
Posted by Foxy, Friday, 21 September 2018 11:53:14 AM
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runner,

Any opinion on the topic of this discussion?

Hi Foxy glad you asked. Much happier for Peter Dutton to give a french sheila a visa to look after kids than the killer that the opposition Immigration shadow minister asked for.
Posted by runner, Friday, 21 September 2018 2:29:30 PM
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runner,

Which killer was that?

And, you still haven't answered the topic of this
discussion - which has nothing to do with Mr Dutton's
problems in Parliament.

The question being asked here is:

Are au-pairs a good substitute for formal childcare?

Leave Mr Dutton out of it - he can solve his own problems
of his eligibility to sit in Parliament or whether he
mislead Parliament about his dealings with au-pairs.

This has nothing to do with this topic.
Posted by Foxy, Friday, 21 September 2018 3:53:24 PM
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Hi Foxy

Are au-pairs a good substitute for formal childcare?

very hard to generalise on this. I am no fan of soviet style child care centres. Every time my grandson goes to one he ends up catcing some stomach bug, cold, flu etc. I imagine some au pairs are fantastic while some just want a ticket to the promised land. Encouragement for mums and dads to bring up small kids is by far the healthiest in my opinion.
Posted by runner, Friday, 21 September 2018 4:25:55 PM
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runner,

I totally agree. I did not work until my children
were around four years old - and then I also had
grandparents who helped out. I think that the first
years are so important for mum's to be home - if
it's at all possible - but of course for single
parents and nowadays two incomes are needed,
unfortunately. Some people have no choice in the
matter. People do the best with what they've got.
Working part-time is another option for many
families.
Posted by Foxy, Friday, 21 September 2018 4:50:19 PM
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runner,

Yes. A lot of hoo hah about useful and harmless au pairs on working holidays from people who preach open borders. Of course, it's nothing to do with au pairs and visas at all. It's all about denigrating Dutton, one of the few conservatives left in almost-Labor Liberal party, and one of the few who stands up to the raving left.
Posted by ttbn, Friday, 21 September 2018 5:21:20 PM
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Who's doing the raving here?

Over and over again!

Tsk. tsk!
Posted by Foxy, Friday, 21 September 2018 6:39:58 PM
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