Child care and the role of employer sponsorship

This paper examines current issues and availability of employer- sponsored child care in Australia and compares two international perspectives on the issue of child care and responsibility with the present Australian perspective. The historical emergence of employer- sponsored child care in Australia is traced over the past two decades and is supported by three examples of companies having successfully used such arrangements. Implications for early childhood professionals and the changing roles practitioners face in terms of ensuring quality and equity in services for young children and their families are discussed. The authors propose employer- sponsored child care as a viable option for Australian families, and argue for the establishment of a central body responsible for supporting and monitoring quality, with equity being an essential component. [Author abstract]