Child-care costs

Press, 3 February 1987, Page 16

Child-care costs

Sir, —Karen Harrison (January 28) claims I deviate from the subject of child-care costing. I do not. I maintain that child-care should be Government funded from taxes collected from companies which at present are evading the tax net. The Chinese limit the size of families because of a simple equation — one quarter of the world’s population and 7 per cent of its arable land. Full-time mothering has never been an option for the vast majority of Chinese women. Now, however, they can work, knowing that their children are well cared for. I suggest a country which is, like New Zealand, far more wealthy than China, should be able to .do at least as much for its mothers. Karen Harrison is free to believe in the user-pays, system if she wishes, but I find it strange that she rejects it in areas where her children benefit, i.e., free kindergarten, free education, free dental care and cheap health care.— Yours, etc.,

T. E. MOON. January 28, 1987.