Child Care-Who Needs It? / Margaret Clyde.

"Child care" is a phrase which has become inextricably linked with the political, economic, and social policies of Australian society. Antagonists and protagonists of child care have put forth arguments against and for child care, respectively, over the past two decades. Supporters of child care have variously viewed child care as a needs-based welfare service, as an integral part of a systemic approach to family support, and as a children's service. The government has attempted to support child care by providing fee relief subsidies to users of commercial child care. As a result, users of commercial child care are entitled to more fee relief than users of community-based centers, and fees have increased in the private sector. Attempts have been made to address issues of award restructuring, accreditation of services and personnel, and work-related child care. Policies that have involved recognition of prior learning and reorganization of existing courses into modules have sought to address problems in the training of child care workers. A further important but complicating factor in attempts to improve the education of child care workers is the need to rationalize the two opposing viewpoints of child care as a profession and as an industry. Contains 26 references. (MM)

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