Dawn To Dusk Childcare Short-Changes Children
Christian Heritage NZ believes the plans for “dawn to dusk” childcare being promoted by the Government will sacrifice
children on the altar of economic growth. CHNZ leader Ewen McQueen said it was tragic that the Government was looking to
support such schemes simply to encourage more mothers to work and lift New Zealand’s GDP a few notches higher in the
OECD economic rankings. He said
“ It is a very distorted value system that is willing to leave children in childcare for such long hours, simply to add
a few more dollars to the national income. Once again our children will be short-changed by the most anti-family
Government we have ever had.”
McQueen went on to say that the dawn to dusk childcare proposal was contradictory to the Government’s stated desire to
improve work/life balance. He stated,
“ If the Government is genuinely concerned about work/life balance it would be looking at ways for families to have
more time together – not less. Providing some support to those who sacrifice one income to care for their own children
at home would be more consistent with this.”
McQueen said CHNZ was looking at options for doing this and expected to announce a package of truly family friendly
policies shortly.