Who Cares? Imagining Feminist Solutions to Australia’s Childcare Crisis Symposium & Roundtable
Day One (24 June): Academic presentations and Panel sessions.
Day Two (25 June): Advocates and policy stakeholder presentations, followed by a roundtable to discuss a better, genuinely feminist care ecosystem and begin to discuss concrete policy alternatives.
About Who Cares? Imagining Feminist Solutions to Australia’s Childcare Crisis Symposium & Roundtable
If we could start from scratch, what would a genuinely feminist care ecosystem look like?
Australia faces a deepening care crisis. Centre-based childcare is under heightened scrutiny following investigations by ABC’s Four Corners, which uncovered systemic issues including sub-standard care, neglect, and abuse. The broader care ecosystem is also in crisis, as unpaid reproductive labour and childcare - disproportionately undertaken by women, especially mothers - remains chronically devalued by our governments, economy, and society.
This online interdisciplinary Symposium and Roundtable will bring together diverse perspectives to reimagine how we support mothers, families, and caregiving. It will focus on wellbeing, equity, and real lived experiences, exploring how policy and social systems can better value maternal labour, reduce inequality, and address the motherhood penalty without reinforcing restrictive roles.
Discussions will examine inclusive, forward-thinking solutions from childcare models and global insights to social infrastructure, expanded care networks, and supportive environments, aimed at creating more fulfilling, sustainable lives for families.