No budget relief for stay-at-home mums

#1073 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 17 May 2015

The sweeteners in the childcare package in this week’s federal budget may have been overshadowed by concerns over proposed cuts to the government’s paid parental leave scheme, but there is no financial incentive for mums and dads who choose to do their own childcare work, voluntarily staying out of the workforce while their children are very young.

Family Voice Australia research officer Ros Phillips said, “Randomised studies continue to confirm … [that] children under two or three do best when cared for by a parent.” She said:

Pushing mums of young children back into the paid workforce by paying them to put their kids in childcare is counter-productive. The work these mums do at home may not be paid, but it is invaluable.

Mrs Phillips said the Abbott government’s approach to family taxation was “short-sighted,” and urged the government to rethink its families package.

Makes sense to me. I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.