Two key periods in the history of Australian child care policies are examined and speculative comparisons with British policies are made. During World War II, perceptions of the need for organized child care in Australia were tied almost exclusively to the war-related need for women's labor. During 1942, the question of child care for children of…

This paper examines the relationship between Australian women's participation in paid work in the public market and the child-rearing component of their unpaid, non-market work, and the role of public policy in regulating the relationship. The study presents a historical overview of the period between 1939 and 1950. Critical concepts and the ideas…