Balancing work and family is not an employer responsibility

One group that has a serious conflict between work and family and for whom Australian governments can do something are the 100,000 girls and women who each year feel they have to resort to abortion because of financial, social, career and education disincentives to starting or adding to families. For many of these hapless women, the babies they abort may be the only “family” they will ever have.

The numbers of these women are too high to be adequately helped by voluntary and church agencies, although these have done a valiant job with little or no government funding. It is clearly in the national interest for these women to give birth to babies they have conceived. Moral issues aside, Australia's economic interests are severely affected when the birth rate is below replacement level. Our birth rate is 1.75, well below the Treasurer's recommendation of 3. The experience of countries such as Japan, Germany and the USA - which are having serious problems in paying their social security, pensions and health costs because of low birth rates - makes it imperative the Australian government adopts a pro-natalist policy.

I have recommended that the federal government set up "parenting centres", possibly alongside baby health centres or public hospitals, where counsellors will advise girls and women with unplanned pregnancies how they can continue with their pregnancies and their education, and or how they can resume careers after the births of their babies. The parenting centres should be equipped with ultrasound machines and technical support so mothers can view their babies on ultrasound. Wherever possible fathers of the babies should be encouraged to participate in the lives of their children.

Funding for 40 hours per week of childcare should be offered to all mothers of pre-school children, whether they are in or out of the paid workforce. This would in effect constitutes a "mother's wage", and would relieve the severe economic pressures faced by families when the wife has to leave employment because of pregnancy and lactation. This funding would enable one or both parents to better balance their work commitments with family life by easing economic pressures and providing choices about part-time work, over-time and after-hours work, and or enabling one parent to remain out of the paid workforce while children are preschool.

Some child care funding paid to mothers should continue after the children are at school (until the youngest child is aged 14) to enable one parent to be home after school hours or when children are ill, or to pay after-school child care costs. This will enable those mothers who have returned to paid work to work part-time so they can be home after school hours or when children are ill, or to make alternative care arrangements. Data obtained by Senator Boswell in answers to questions in Parliament, indicates there are more abortions among women in the 30-34 age group than in the 15-19 age group. For these older women who have become unexpectedly pregnant after having achieved their desired family size, counsellors at the parenting centres should help them work out a career pathway so they can return to paid work if they wish to do so.

One of the necessities for a couple who have more than three children is a car that can accommodate their family. Most cars only allow for 5 people. This may be a serious disincentive for couples who want to add to their family of three, or who have an unplanned fourth pregnancy.

Programs such as the United States CHIP program (Child Health Insurance Program) could be initiated by the federal government to cover the health costs of pregnant women and their unborn children from the time the pregnancy is confirmed. The baby bonus that a woman receives on giving birth ($3,000 - $5,000) should commence on an instalment basis at 20 weeks gestation.

While these recommendations may incur substantial costs, it is an economic imperative if Australia is to create enough families so that at least a population replacement level of births can be achieved. The Spanish legislation mandating that husbands help with housework will only serve to further depress the birth rate. Policies based on feminist angst have that effect.