Not all childcare is centre-based. Family daycare is a great option, with carers limited to 5 kids under schoolage (plus two older ones can be added after school). This naturally limits what they are able to earn. I dont begrudge a cent of what I pay my carer, and I appreciate the financial assistance from all taxpayers to do so. I dont have a choice in whether to work or not, and as much as I hate leaving my daughter at daycare, she thrives on it, with lots of interaction and activity that I wouldnt be able to offer her otherwise.

All that said, we do have an ABC centre in this town, and if I had no other option, I would quit work, sell the house and live in a caravan before I sent her there.

I'm very sorry that you people have got yourselves into a financial situation where you both need to work but i do not believe anyone else should foot the bill.Govt or otherwise.If you don't work you still get child endowment or whatever they call it now.If you can't afford to have kids and look after them,you shouldn't have had them.What about all the women on benefits who don't work.They still get subsidised childcare.Another case of people putting out their hands and thinking we all should pay for their life choices.We have become a nation of people who don't accept our own responsibilities and expect handouts all the time.

To listen to the Educationalists arguments regarding day care, its incredible how the world has produced so many scientists, engineers, inventors, artists, musicians etc etc before the introduction of day care. But then, day care provides more education workers with jobs and the access to young minds to perpetuate their own beliefs and values.
I strongly support the suggestion that parents should be responsible for their own children, or don't have them. The prevailing attitude today is that the State (other taxpayers) will provide a Baby Bonus (Plasma Grant), child benefit payments, day care and school fees etc etc which all subsidises parents income so they can buy a bigger house or an investment property or holidays abroad etc etc.
Gross over-population is the biggest problem facing Australia and the withdrawal of these financial incentives would very quickly at least stabilise or even reduce the population. This in turn would reduce overcrowding on transport, roads, waiting lists in hospitals and the use of prime land for housing, schools and more hospitals etc.

And whats the point in saving water when one more mouth in the State uses the water savings of ten thrifty people.

Haygirl, you have missed the point another poster made about the costs to the community of child endowment vs childcare subsidies. To make a point, with two kids in care and working full time, the govt would collect about $17,000 a year from me in tax, and subidise my childcare to the tune of about $4420 a year in CCB, and around $1794 in CCR ($6214 all up). Thats still a net contribution that I make of about $10786. If I were to stop work, I wouldnt get any childcare subsidies (as I wouldnt use it), but I would get family tax benefit, to the tune of about $8920 for part A and $3260 for part B, taking a total of $12180 OUT of the tax system, without putting anything back. Isnt it pretty simple to see how the tax-payer overall is better off? Isnt it better for the community overall if I work, and still make a net contribution to the system?

Its sad, but I actually calculated a whileback that if I stopped work, and sold the house, and rented instead (and thus qualified for rent assistance), thanks to Centrelink I would have as much disposable income as I do now, working my butt off and trying to give my kids a balanced life. But at the end of the day, I think I set a better long-term example to my kids by being a productive person, than bludging off welfare. The least the community in general can do, is thank me for my choice, rather than jump down my neck about costing the taxpayer.