At What Cost? by Future Women

At What Cost? by Future Women

"Never in my wildest dreams or nightmares did I think I would find myself in that circumstance." Australia is a great place to have kids… In most ways. But right now we’re in a childcare crisis and the consequences are dire - for children, their families, communities, the economy. And, most particularly, for women. What’s the true cost of child care in this country? And what can be done about it? Join host Georgie Dent for a special three-episode exploration of Australia's childcare crisis. In At What Cost? she speaks with parents paying the price and experts with solutions that could make Australia the best place in the world to raise a child.

Episodes

February 3, 2025 2 mins

Australia is a great place to have kids... In most ways. But right now we’re in a childcare crisis and the consequences are dire - for children, their families, communities and the economy. And, most particularly, for women. What’s the true cost of child care in this country? And what can be done about it?

Join host Georgie Dent as she shares real stories of parents paying the price and expert solutions. Over three epis...

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Australia is known as the “lucky country”. So how did struggling to access affordable childcare become the norm? Amid a cost-of-living crunch, most families say they need two incomes to make ends meet. But with childcare fees in Australia being among the highest in the world, parents are caught in a “cost of working trap”: they can’t afford not to work, but the cost of care is so high it eats into thei...

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February 18, 2025 30 mins

When is a choice not a choice? Almost a quarter of Australia’s population is now living in a ‘childcare desert’ - and this scarcity means that many families’ financial and work schedules hinge on being offered a childcare spot in the first place. 

In this episode, we hear from real parents and experts about the near-impossible workarounds for families who can’t access suitable childcare and can&rs...

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February 25, 2025 40 mins

In the blur of early parenthood, many parents don’t stop to think about how the roles they adopt at home – as the primary caregiver, or as the breadwinner – impact their careers and finances in the long-term. But they do. And when families can’t access affordable childcare, it’s generally women whose job security takes a hit. This fuels gender inequality on a national scale… contributing to the ...

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So you’ve found a nearby childcare service that actually has availability? Win. (If the fees aren’t sky-high? Double win!) But before you bust out a victory dance and accept the spot, there’s one more thing to consider: quality.

In this bonus episode, host Georgie Dent lays out four practical, expert-approved pointers on how to work out if an early childhood education and care service is actually any good (Sp...

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Georgie Dent isn’t just our host: she’s also a mum-of-three, and her firsthand experience of trying (and sometimes failing) to find suitable childcare for her daughters has taught her a lot. Like: sometimes it costs $165 per day and a 45-minute commute across town to find care for your kids.

At times, the search for an available childcare spot will feel like a full-blown fixation. And at some point, you’ll realise...

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