The Forum > Article Comments > Taking the lottery out of child care > Comments
Taking the lottery out of child care : Comments
By Lin Hatfield Dodds, published 22/3/2006Making child care simpler and fairer should be key elements in proposals to improve our child care system.
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Government needs to decide what its policy is. Either it should be encouraging women back to work via the supply of good quality childcare that is affordable or if it wishes women to stay at home they should require paid maternity leave. One or the other, at present the policies seem mixed, women and families loosing out on both sides.
However I am looking forward to the tax rebate (as a childcare user). Childcare is expensive, even for middle income earners. Where my two children are 3 days a week it costs me $18,000 a year post tax, so I have to earn at least $30,000 part time to cover the costs, this does not include other costs such as getting to and from work. I am glad this rebate is not means tested (as everything else is, via income tax, CCB and now in Port Melbourne via the fee structure for childcare in Council owned facilities). We receive the minimum CCB due to our combined incomes being over the threshold for assistance, however this is because I work. As middle income earners we are allowed little access to any support financially for our family, however pay probably the highest levels of income tax on a portionate basis, plus other taxes (i.e. not rich enough for tax avoidance schemes as not enough disposable income, not poor enough to fall under the welfare banner).
I agree that there are people in our society who need help. I am all for a progressive system to fund the less fortunate. However sometimes I wonder if anyone is prepared to think about those in the middle who are ignored by all - policy makers, social commentators, academics etc.