A fun game to play for British parents seeking to drive themselves up the wall is to read about the childcare systems in other countries. Finland? A public early years education service for preschool children underpinned by a “right to daycare” for every citizen, which is free for lower-income families; and a home care subsidy for those that want to look after their children at home. France? State-funded creches available to children from the age of two and a half months, with a strong historical notion that the government should facilitate a mother’s ability to work outside the home. Germany? Children have a legal right to childcare and prices are as low as €70 to €150 (£61 to £130) per child a month. Denmark? Every child aged between 0 and six guaranteed a place in the public childcare system, with 75% of the cost consisting of government subsidies. It is truly sickening, and I’m genuinely surprised that parents here aren’t shutting down the country with a national strike.
“Sign him up in utero”, a friend advised me, when I told her I was pregnant, but after…
