The theme of this Ecoso Exchange is to present some ideas on work-based, work-related and community child-care issues with the aim of ensuring:
1. That the initiatives that are being taken by trade unionists are linked with community movements;
2. Strengthening local government’s role in providing social services.
Background Information to this is that the new Federal Government child care funding arrangements were announced in last year's Budget (1988). These provided incentives (mainly tax deductions) to encourage industry to invest in the provision of child care for their employees. Thus 1,000 of the 4,000 new centre based child care places will be earmarked for a "co-operative venture" with industry. These "co-operative ventures" could be for work-based care, or a combination of work based and community care.
Contents:
* Linking- Workplace and Community and Municipal Council, contributed by Thelma Prior (shop steward at ICI early 1970’s), pg. 2
* Reprint of two articles on Thelma 's workplace experiences, pgs. 3 & 4
* Extracts from Action for Adequate Child Care documents, including part of Child Care Charter, and 1971 quote from Kenneth Davidson, pg. 5
* Reprint of extract from Community Child Care Information Paper No 1 "Child Care - An Expediency or Human Right?”, pg. 6
* History of Children's Services, contributed by Ruth Crow (campaigner for child care for 50 years), pg. 7
* A Useful Compromise - MCC Policy on work-related child care, pg. 9
* A Possible Useful Compromise - RMIT Report on Campus Child Care, pg. 10
* A lesson from Italy  - Bolonga strike for Municipal Child Care, pg. 11
* A lesson from Australia in the 1940s - Work-related Child Care, pg. 11
* History of Infant Welfare Services, contributed by Una Voce, based on Melbourne City Council Reports, pg. 12