Thousands of families are without childcare as hundreds of services have had to close due to a surge in COVID cases, while many more are running at reduced capacity. Many parents dread another chaotic year that may have them jugging childcare and work at home.

The government rescued the childcare sector several times over the past two years - making services eligible for a portion of their pre-pandemic payments as families pulled their children out. But these measures were only temporary.

The childcare system was already busting at the seams before COVID. I led an international survey in 2021, during the pandemic, in which early childhood educators’ gave ideas on how their government could support their work. In Australia, 51 educators participated.

Here are four preexisting the issues that have increased during the pandemic

When Australia is faced with the sudden and often unexpected impact of natural disaster and other forms of crisis, citizens typically "look for the heroes" – the brave first responders and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel who put their minds and bodies on the line to ensure the safety and well being of others.

The increasing frequency of natural disasters, such as bushfires, pose significant challenges for countries like Australia. This research investigates the changes in social connectedness following a bushfire disaster in 2019 in the rural community of Cudlee Creek, South Australia, Australia. Research has repeatedly highlighted the importance of social connectedness, social capital and secure attachment relationships in mitigating post-disaster mental health concerns. This study utilised semi-structured interviews with eight parent–child dyads twenty months post-disaster to understand changes in parent–child relationships, the quality of extended family ties and the role of the broader community in recovery and coping. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three themes: (i) differences in children and parents in preferred forms of social support; (ii) a thinning of previously available support and (iii) altered patterns of communication in the parent–child relationships. The findings highlight the complex interactions of multi-systemic and intersectional disadvantages on social isolation and loss of social capital following disasters. The results also highlight the influence of stoic beliefs on patterns of miscommunication in parent–child dyads in rural contexts. Implications for the implementation of community-wide post-disaster supports, sociometric approaches to mental health screening and assessment, and targeted interventions for rural families.

For three million Australians, the announcement of a reduction in indexation on their HECS and HELP student loan debt is welcome. The change means an estimated $3 billion will be wiped from student’s debt from July, because the amount is backdated to include the indexation added in 2023.

Also, proposed changes to the rate of indexation (similar to an interest rate) will not be based on inflation, but on more stable rates. The government is proposing it should be indexed using the Consumer Price Index or Wage Price Index, depending on which is lower on any given year.

Although it can be exciting to move to a new house and community, relocations are a major source of stress for many families. The positive consequence of frequent relocations is that children get to know different parts of the country and sometimes different cultures if they are posted overseas. This can help to boost their confidence to relocate for study, work and relationships when they are adults. Also, if well supported, children can develop coping strategies to help deal with change.

Despite the positives, there are many challenges for children. They feel the stress within the family, and younger children might struggle to understand what is happening during the different stages of the move. For example, the service parent might leave early to start their new role, and the other parent and children are left to pack up their house and say goodbye. When they arrive at the new location, they might be living out of a suitcase for a few weeks before they can access their belongings.

In the aftermath of the horrors of the attacks in Bondi and Wakeley, many community members have been involved in or witnessed traumatic events. These can impact mental health and family life, what we call events which cause moral injury.

Our team has co-created resources to support children who grow up in families where a parent has a moral injury. As Anzac Day approaches, it is also relevant to consider defence, veteran and first responder (service) families.