National policy wanted on early childhood care

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34104, 17 March 1976, Page 6

National policy wanted on early childhood care

(By

ROSSLYN RIX)

WELLINGTON.

A national early childhood care and education policy was needed in New Zealand. according to a working party on “Women and the care of children and other dependants” at the conference on women in social and economic development, held in Wellington.

The working party, or syndicate, as the groups were known, recommended that the provision of after-school and holiday care be provided for all children who required it, that the Council of Recreation and Sport give priority to these activities and that local bodies and district education boards also give consideration to provision of these services.

It was agreed that a nat-i ional policy on early child-| hood care and education; should be based on two;

premises. One was that the raising

of children is the equal responsibility of father and mother and there is an oyer

■ ;all community responsibility. ;The group was divided, 14 i|in favour of the word ‘equal’ >jand nine in favour of the

words ‘joint’ or ‘shared.’ Of the nine, seven were men.

The other premise was that, in the interests of the child and of society as a

whole, both women and men should participate equally at all levels in the field of early childhood care and education. Financial support i The syndicate agreed that steps should be taken to place child care centres reglistered with the Department of Social Welfare on an equal footing with kindergartens and playcentres for the receipt of financial support The syndicate supported the principle of maternity and paternity leave for those caring for children and other dependants. It also recommended that the Department of Labour, the State Services Commission and employer and employee organisations examine the feasibility of extended leave with rights of re-entry and opportunities for retraining for women and men who care for dependants in the home.

The syndicate agreed that variations in the pattern of work should be encouraged to allow for flexible working hours and the extension of job-sharing opportunities.

Recommended by the syndicate on “Women in social and community development” was that a married woman with a dependant husband receive the same rate of sickness-benefit payment as a married man with a dependant wife.

The group also agreed that women as well as men should receive a housekeeper allowance were appropriate, and that the treatment given to married persons applying for loans or credit should not be dependent on the sex of the applicant.

A public campaign was called for, to be mounted by the Housing Corporation to advise the public about the availability of variable mortgage repayment provisions.

The full conference agreed that a monitoring system should be set up to review progress made' on all the recommendations and projects put forward or organised by women as part of i International Women’s Year.