NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

The childcare debate churns on

Herald online
12 Dec, 2008 12:36 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Children at a kindergarten in China walk in snake formation. Photo / Getty Images

Children at a kindergarten in China walk in snake formation. Photo / Getty Images

KEY POINTS:

According to a recent UNICEF study, the majority of British youngsters are being cared for someone other than their mother before they turn a year old.

Today's Independent quotes the children's charity as having this to say: "The care of very young children is
now becoming, in significant degree, an out-of-home activity in which governments and private enterprise are increasingly involved. In the United Kingdom, for example, a majority of mothers are now returning to full or part-time work within 12 months of giving birth."

Be you on the side of defending the use of childcare for the very young, or be you against it, surely this statistic is a little alarming.

It is known that children need to form a close bond with their mother - yes, ideally mother, although it can happen with father - in the first 12 months of life, with some commentators suggesting the first three years (about the age attachment parenting is practised until by some).

Again, from the UNICEF The Childcare Transition study, a warning that in their first year, the attention of a caring adult is key in order to develop communication skills.

"Neuroscientific research is demonstrating that loving, stable, secure and stimulating relationships with caregivers in the earliest months are critical for every aspect of a child's development," it states.

The effects of childcare can be offset by high quality childcare where the turnover of staff is minimal; by lots of quality time with parents around the care and by incremental use of childcare as the child ages.

We all know children from loving and happy homes who attend child care as young children and appear to grow up just fine.

But the UNICEF report, which also commented on New Zealand's early child care provisions, states quite baldly that poor quality child care is detrimental to children and increases the gap between haves and have-nots further down the track.

With the sheer volume of children being placed in childcare, we can be sure some of it is simply not up to scratch.

New Zealand did not do too badly in the study of how we treat our young (despite the alarmist headlines), placing us seventh equal behind acknowledged leaders in the area of secure parenting, the Nords.

Where we fell down was in the provision of parental leave - with 14 weeks, only Australia and the US are worse - and our child poverty rate is more than double the minimum standard.

So, John Key, what can be done? What about a few ideas?

1. Paying ideally mother, but father if he so chooses, a decent wage to stay at home and raise children under the age of three. This would not be paid per child, but simply per role. Some women go back to work because they want to but many because they have to. It would be great if every woman who wanted to stay at home with her young children could, because inevitably society as a whole benefits from securely attached children. Yes, some can be securely attached despite long hours in childcare ... But why not give mothers a real choice? We pay students to live while they undertake tertiary study (for the benefit of society); we pay pensioners (not very much) when they can not work, presumably another social good. For heaven's sake, we pay for people who blow themselves up in P labs to get top notch medical care and probably years of sickness benefits thereafter. Let's get our priorities right.

2. Let's be incredibly vigilant about our child care sector. Let's ensure carers get paid enough to make the job worth sticking at. There are homes that are so dysfunctional that some children are infinitely better off in care - they are an important part of the mix and should all be without blemish, and we need people to ensure that's the case.

3. Let's be incredibly vigilant about how benefits and other government monies are spent within families. In homes where multiple adults are getting benefits but there's a party raging every night, there is clearly something wrong.

This country does not spend a lot on child care and pre-school education, despite what some may say.

According to the study we spend less than Mexico, Portugal and Hungary. Not that we need to spend huge amounts more, but perhaps a different emphasis on how we spend might be in order. (We spend just 0.4 per cent of GDP; UNICEF recommends one per cent of GDP).

A new government might just provide the perfect time to give some thought to these hugely important matters.

*****

Stories in today's news have raised the perennial issue of paedophile Santas. Great for some scary headlines of course, but time for a reality check.

If you are a normal, vigilant parent, and take your child for a photo or visit with Santa, there would be little opportunity for him to victimise your child. Let's get a grip and focus on some real problems!

Picture above: Children at a kindergarten in China walk in snake formation. Photo / Getty Images

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

How tinned fish became the star of dining trends

11 Jul 12:00 AM
Premium
Lifestyle

Advice: My brother and I haven’t spoken in four years - can we reconcile?

11 Jul 12:00 AM
Lifestyle

Why this Birkin bag became a $16.6m fashion icon

10 Jul 08:53 PM

Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

How tinned fish became the star of dining trends

How tinned fish became the star of dining trends

11 Jul 12:00 AM

From sardine toast to tuna pate, premium tins are leaping from pantry to plate.

Premium
Advice: My brother and I haven’t spoken in four years - can we reconcile?

Advice: My brother and I haven’t spoken in four years - can we reconcile?

11 Jul 12:00 AM
Why this Birkin bag became a $16.6m fashion icon

Why this Birkin bag became a $16.6m fashion icon

10 Jul 08:53 PM
‘Are you having a laugh?’: Boss’ text to former employee goes viral

‘Are you having a laugh?’: Boss’ text to former employee goes viral

10 Jul 08:30 PM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP