Mothers see flaws in both schemes

Nicole Clews, with her daughter Neve (left), and Darby Healey, with her daughter Carys, are sceptical about the childcare offerings of Labour and National. Picture / Greg Bowker

Neve Clews is just 18 months old and Carys Healey celebrated her first birthday only last week, but the up-coming election will have a huge bearing on where the girls are in two years.

Darby Healey returned to work when daughter Carys was 3 months old. As a senior manager for accounting firm KPMG, she wanted the balance of family and working life as well as needing the second income for the household. Carys has three full days at a private childcare centre in Grey Lynn, costing $162 a week.

Meanwhile, stay-home mother Nicole Clews has decided not to go back to her job as a legal executive until Neve is school-age. However, she plans for her daughter to go to some form of childcare from the age of 2 "so she experiences the stimulation of other children and that mixed environment".

Mrs Healey, who will eventually put Carys into full-time childcare, said she was unimpressed by the policies of Labour and National.

The National rebate was a small portion of childcare costs so the 20 hours a week free was a better deal, she said.

"But if it's only at an approved centre, I would not take Carys out of where she is just to benefit."

Mrs Healey said she was happy for the money to be targeted to high-quality centres with good teachers, "but fund them all and let parents decide which they choose."

Mrs Clews says some people fail to realise that choosing a childcare centre is a huge decision for a mother and "it has to have the right feel".

She prefers Labour's deal because, while not working, she has more freedom to travel to a centre eligible to offer the 20 free hours.

"But there's heaps that have waiting lists, and it's hard to believe there will suddenly be enough room for everyone at an approved centre that I also feel comfortable with."