A new beginning: let’s fund two years of early learning for all kids
I don’t want to win an award for the most obvious statement of the year, but here goes: being a new parent is hard. Oh, yes, there’s joy and smiles and giggles, of course. But the stress on relationships and the lack of sleep? Jeesh.
It’s been nearly 4½ years since I was freshly minted into the “mummy” ranks. Which means it’s almost four years since I began navigating Australia’s complex and confusing maze of childcare and early-learning options for under-5s.
Childcare is something you don’t spend much time thinking about until you’re in it. And then, when you do, you’re in such a sleep-deprived state, it’s hard to make much sense of it.
Should you do centre-based daycare? If so, privately provided or not-for-profit? How many days a week? Can you even find a place? Is family daycare better? Or a nanny? Can you throw preschool into the mix?