Georgie Dent's National Press Club address recently went viral after she laid bare the compounding pressures on modern families. The CEO of advocacy group The Parenthood spoke with Reged Ahmad to unpack why raising children has become an impossible mathematical equation and how policy reform can fix it.
Pressures on modern families
Between skyrocketing cost of living, rigid workplace expectations, and an eye-watering gap between school days and work hours, Dent argued the current system is setting parents up to fail. Research shows it costs nearly $37,000 a year to raise two children in Australia.
Policy reform as the solution
Dent explained that family pressures represent a 'policy failure' and highlighted an 814-hour parenting shortfall caused by school holidays. The conversation explored how policy changes could address these systemic issues.
The full discussion is available in the podcast episode, with additional video content offering further insights into the parenting shortfall and the broader implications for Australian families.
