Why Including In-Home Nannies in the Childcare Subsidy Could Support Breastfeeding Families
Australia’s breastfeeding goals are not ambitious, yet even these modest targets are still out of reach for too many families. It isn’t for lack of will. Mothers want to breastfeed, and babies are born expecting it. What so often gets in the way are systems and structures that make it harder than it needs to be.
One of the biggest pinch points comes when mothers return to paid work. At this stage, many find themselves facing yet another barrier in their breastfeeding journey — not because they want to stop, but because the way childcare is funded and supported doesn’t match the needs of babies and families.
Why Centre-Based Care Doesn’t Always Fit
The childcare subsidy overwhelmingly favours centre-based care. For many families, that works well. But for mothers with young babies, it can create extra pressure.
Being separated from a baby for long stretches means pumping milk becomes essential. While expressing can be a useful tool, it also brings heavy demands: carrying equipment, finding time and privacy at work, storing milk safely, and then bringing it all home again. Add in the stress of bottle refusal or worries about supply, and it’s not surprising that many women find it overwhelming.
Instead of supporting breastfeeding, the system often forces mothers to do double the work — breastfeeding when they are together, and pumping when they are apart.
How In-Home Care Could Change Things
If the childcare subsidy extended to in-home carers such as nannies, families would have more choice. For parents who can work from home, it would mean keeping work, care, and feeding all under one roof.
Babies could be brought to their mothers for a feed, instead of relying on bottles.
Mothers could work knowing their babies had one-on-one care in their own familiar environment.
The stress of commutes, packing bags, and rushing through evening routines would be eased.
Breastfeeding could continue in a natural rhythm, without the constant need to pump.
This is not about saying one option is better than another — but about recognising that not every family fits into the same childcare mould.
A Bigger Picture Benefit
There’s another side to this, too. Right now, centre-based places are stretched thin. Families wait months for a spot, and many are left without care when they need it most. If families with the option of in-home care were supported to choose it, that would free up centre-based places for those who need them — especially parents who cannot work from home or whose jobs don’t offer flexibility.
Recognising Real Families
Not every mother is breastfeeding, and not every parent can work remotely. Families are diverse, and policy should reflect that. What matters is choice: real, affordable options that meet families where they are, instead of squeezing everyone into a one-size-fits-all solution.
For some families, in-home care could be the key to keeping breastfeeding going. For others, it could simply mean calmer evenings, less stress, and babies cared for in a familiar, nurturing space. And for all families, it could mean a childcare system that works better — not just for the numbers, but for the people behind them.
A Way Forward
Supporting in-home care through the childcare subsidy isn’t just a convenience measure. It’s a step towards aligning childcare, work, and health policies in ways that actually support families.
If we want to see breastfeeding rates improve, mothers better supported in their return to work, and childcare places made more available for everyone, then broadening the subsidy to include in-home care is a practical, compassionate step forward.
