Taxpayer funded Nannies

[bella_again]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/federal-government-proposal-for-taxpayerfunded-athome-nann...

I don't know about this, I could never have employed a nanny to bring up my kids. As a parent that's something I wanted to do myself. Surely by far the best form of child care is a parent staying home. Surely it costs the government more for these kinds of subsidies? Maybe I am old fashioned and I certainly don't mean to be offensive in anyway but if we have kids don't we want to be the ones raise them? I have known parents/carers that drop their kids off as soon as care opens and pick them up before it closes and I think that is such a shame as they get to spend so little time with them. I don't know maybe the world has moved on since mine were little!

[catsnknots]

I find this to be such a narrow minded debate. 

Times have changed.. child care has not... 

Where I work there are plenty of single mothers and fathers that must do overnight shifts. There is no one to mind their children and they have had to leave their job. 

The idea of a nanny is to cater for people that have shift work that is outside of the regular day care hours, also people in my department have had to pay a person to pick up their children from day care because their shift finishes at 7pm yet child care ends at 6.30pm.

One lady could employ one person for her part time care for half the price that she needs to pay for the care she gets from the child minding centre.

Throw in the people that in a relationship and they both do shift work. The sugar mill has started up again for sugar season and some have both parents that need to work shift work. School age children should not be left alone while the parents have to work yet some are. Having a nanny sleep over would be of such benefit. 

If a person has two or more children in full time care the cost of a nanny would be so much cheaper. 

Stop thinking in such narrow terms... try to think of how other families work. These people are not rich... they are not looking for a nanny to come in and clean their house while they sit and eat bonbons... they are looking for good quality care that suits thir working hours. 

[cherry*135]

If parent(s) could never afford a nanny, should the Govt pay the majority of the costs for one though?

Having a nanny at home to look after your child/children most likely would be more popular for the parents taking them to and from a daycare centre. Much less disruptive for the baby/toddler to stay on their own home.

Costs to Govt would skyrocket.

Paying a Nanny to work outside 9-5, to stay overnight, is going to cost a lot more than one working in business hours.

The nannies need to be qualified child carers ( up to $40 p.h. through an agency)
Who is going to adminster that? To make sure every nanny hired that is eligible for Govt assistance to the parent is qualified??

Parents would also be be responsible for paying their employees super etc also. If the do their own hiring.

Are their enough QUALIFIED nannies in Australia to meet an increased demand?

[bella_again]

It's not hard to become a qualified nanny from my understanding.  I agree that all kinds of families have different needs and I think its important as a society that we recognise that. I am also all for supporting people if they want to work and need help with child care. However I have seen so many parents wish they could spend more time with their kids, working their hearts out just to make ends meet.  Wouldn't it make more sense to let those who choose to be at home, stay home with support and support those that do want to work.

Atm people feel forced to go to work to keep a roof over their heads. I think that's a shame when parents can;t be there for their kids (no judgement there) espeically when they want to be.  So isn't it cheaper to keep existing parenting payments  in place to allow this?

As opposed to bringing in athe kind of system that will undoubtedly cost the taxpayer so much more?  I don't know what the solution is there?

[bella_again]

I should add that it seems costs have skyrocketed in terms of child care and the demand has exceeded the services available since the governent has cracked down on SAHM's.  So is a solution to allow a choice there? 

[k0llectable5]

Where I work there are plenty of single mothers and fathers that must do overnight shifts. 

Well thats a totally different debate all together. I realize I didn't specify but I was talking more about a traditional family situation where there are 2 parents and they both work full-time. (they actually still do exist so please forgive me for not taking all the different family situations into consideration when writing my post) Think about it, why would both parents of a young family need to work full-time? It usually comes down to the burden of debt.  I dont mean to sound harsh but alot of people these days refuse to live within their means, they end up with massive mortgages and huge credit card debts, car loans ect that forces them to work extra hours just so they can keep on top of all the monthly payments the banks demand out of them.  Thats the point I was trying to make earlier.  

I just think it's the parents job to look after their children, not to say that FDC and creches/nannies ect dont do a good job, because I know that they do and for some family situations they are a necessity like those you mentioned ie; shift workers and single parent families ect but if you are a "career" minded mother I really dont think the government should be responsible for your childcare bills. If ones career is more important than bringing up ones own children then I dont see the point in having them in the first place. How much time in a normal day would these people even spend with their children? An hour or two in the morning and an hour or two at night, how much of this is quality family time? 

Theres no shame in being a stay at home mum, I guess thats all I'm trying to say...

[cherry*135]

What are the qualifications to become a professional nanny?

In NZ, years ago, it was a 2 year course. Offered by private colleges mostly and fees quite expensive. If the person decided to study further they could get credit from completing that course towards a teaching degree.

A downside of nanny's in the home is if they leave their job at short notice. May not have childcare while trying to find a replacement. Also if they take sick days. Things that don't affect children in daycare centres.

[k0llectable5]

From what I know for a certificate level 3 in childcare it's about 10-14 week full-time course and can cost anywhere between 1 and 2 thousand dollars depending on where you do the training. 

[cherry*135]

"Wouldn't it make more sense to let those who choose to be at home, stay home with support and support those that do want to work."

That equates to Govt spending to support both those (with children) who stay home and those that work.

What will those Mum's do when their youngest' child starts school and Govt payments stop. They could be out of the workforce for years, making it hard for them to re-enter it.

If a couple with a family choose to take out a $450 000 mortgage and both need to work full time to cover that and their household expenses .Not the Govt's place to prop them up.

If a parent can earn $20 000 a year working oart-time (2 income family, other parent works full time) - should they be able to quit that job and receive $20 000 from the Govt instead?

We already have Family Tax benefit A & B which benefits low income earners and single income homes the most.

[j*oono]

I don't totally agree with this post Chuck.  Our children get all of that once they start kindy and preschool and then primary school.

What they need before that is nurturing and being close to their mother or carer and family.  I am too old school.

I wonder what the debt is on that four wheel drive that the mums load their kids into to get them to child care.

[cherry*135]

Thanks secondhw.

I would think (hope) a professional nanny would have more training than a childcare worker. Nanny's employed in private homes have sole responsibility for the children in their care. A childcare worker newly graduated with a cert, employed in a childcare centre, would be working under supervisors.