Commitment to kids has evaporated

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Commitment to kids has evaporated
Canberra Times
1 December 2004

Sit down. No need to get up. The baby isn’t crying. It isn’t the National’s either, they’ve been all smiles since the election, despite Larry Anthony’s departure. It’s early childhood advocates shedding tears over the loss of Larry Anthony and his Ministerial portfolio for Children and Youth Affairs. Rightfully, they are worried about getting government attention.

This is a blow to children and those who advocate strongly for them. Only a year ago, Australian of the Year, Dr Fiona Stanley was appearing on Andrew Denton’s television program. This resulted in a national campaign, ‘Put Children First’ that garnered free coverage on national networks. The early childhood sector was scratching at the door of political significance: an election looming, a national strategy, moves to standardised reporting across all states. Now there isn’t even a Minister. Forget the children, not enough people put Larry first.

The loss of a ministerial portfolio to the early childhood sector is akin to taking a bottle away from a feeding baby. The importance of our children’s early years has gained momentum. Years of hard work in the policy trenches, by researchers and advocates, linking the impact of children’s health and well-being on Australia’s economic and social future was finally being recognised. But, despite an election highly focussed on winning the family vote early childhood policy has been put to bed early in the Howard government’s first term. And, despite the crying and tantrums, it appears controlled crying methods have been employed.

This shows that while families in Australia’s mortgage belts put Howard first, the Howard government won’t be putting their children first. With control of both houses there are more important issues to pursue than the health, well-being and development of our children.

It is a slap in the face for families, subjects of much electioneering in September. Further proof to the theory that families are only important at the end of the electoral cycle and can be bought with promises directed straight at their hip pockets.

Post election the issues quickly change. The political jostling is no longer dependant on pandering to voters who won’t be in the picture again for another four years. Instead of families we have labour market reform and possible senate reform dominating the political landscape. The issues of childcare, children’s health and supporting families to support the development of their children have again become the unwanted blocks at the bottom of the toy box.

The issues for families and children have not gone away. The evidence continues to build: investment in children aged between 0 to 6 years is of economic, social and cultural benefit to our future society, in ways much more significant than we credit. When will government start to listen to the experts? When will they realise that early intervention programs focussed on the health and well-being of young children will create a more dynamic and capable future generation. It is in the interests of government and the people it governs to not let the early childhood agenda slide. 

Daniel Donahoo is a fellow at OzProspect, a non-partisan, public policy think tank and the father of two young boys.

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