On SBS Tuesdays 8:30pm

Repeated Wednesday 1:00pm SBS ONE, Friday 7:30pm SBS TWO

Holding the Baby

Tuesday, 7 Oct 08

Overview

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Does child care have a negative effect on the development of children?

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There is conflicting evidence from Australia and across the world of the negative effects that child care has on children.

Researchers in the UK and US have both found that exposure to long term for young children impacts on the way they relate to people for the rest of their lives.

In Australia research has been done that is not seeing the same effects and claims that day care isn’t the problem it is the quality of that care.

What is the current situation for parents in Australia? Do they have to put their children into day care because there is no other option or because they want to return to their careers? 

Click on Web Extra to explore child care from the perspective of some little attendees in one centre in Thornleigh.

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Meet the Guests

  • Jennifer Buckingham

    Jennifer Buckingham is a Research Fellow with the Social Foundations programme at The Centre for Independent Studies. Jennifer has two children who she shares the care of with her husband. Jennifer does not use childcare and has concerns about government subsidies being used in this area.

  • Kate Sykes

    Kate Sykes is a mother of two and the founder of Career Mums, an organisation aimed at helping women get back to work after having kids. Kate has used part time childcare for her two children and is an advocate of flexible workplaces.

  • Robert Fitzgerald

    Robert Fitzgerald of the Productivity Commission, is working to deliver a report to the Federal Government on the economic and social costs as well as benefits of paid maternity, paternity and parental leave. The Commission's final report will be released in February 2009.

  • Robin Barker

    Robin Barker is a paediatric nurse, midwife and child and family health nurse with thirty years experience. She is the author of 'Baby Love' and 'The Mighty Toddler' and has two children and one grandchild.

  • Sariah Giblin

    Sariah Giblin's baby son Wiremu arrived 14 weeks prematurely with a chronic lung disease that left him in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Nepean Hospital. Despite wanting to stay with her son, Sariah had to return to work as a manager at Hungry Jack's restaurant 7 weeks after his birth so she could keep paying off her mortgage.
     

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