Sickness - the roster-organiser's big headache

In any given week, childcare arrangements break down for 10 per cent of families, a New Zealand Childcare survey shows.

A sick child is the most common cause. This usually disrupts parents' employment, with women (45 per cent) far more likely to take time off than men (28 per cent).

School holidays also disrupt arrangements. In families with school-age children, 25 per cent of parents take time off (women 30 per cent and men 21 per cent). The 1999 survey found that 60 per cent of preschoolers and 20 per cent of school children needed some form of childcare in the holidays and half the country's 804,000 children had care arranged for them.

The 4000 families surveyed showed a strong demand for more before and after-school programmes, particularly for Maori and sole-parent families.

While 84 per cent of fathers had jobs, only 54 per cent of mothers were employed. And the number of mothers, 419,000, considerably surpassed the 336,000 fathers.

The Equal Employment Opportunities Trust (EEO) says that although the survey showed much that the state could do, employers could also contribute.

Last year, Taupo accounting firm DPA and Associates won the EEO innovation award for providing an on-call nanny. The ANZ Bank has child-friendly policies that include no meetings before 8.30am or after 5pm, up to four years' leave to care for preschoolers, uncapped sick leave and 25 per cent reimbursement of childcare fees ($2000 ceiling).

The Auckland University of Technology received an EEO award for large organisations. It has aligned study terms to primary school holidays, and allows sick leave to care for family members.