There are concerns that those working in unpaid labour roles (often childcare and often women) are unfairly disadvantaged. Raising children requires time out of the workforce which delays career advancement and pauses income earning. There are means tested benefits in New Zealand to assist caregivers and a universal Early Childcare Education support that covers up to 20 hours per week for children up to 5 years old. This support helps caregivers with childcare and gives them the opportunity to pick up paid employment. 

I suggest that to help close the gender wealth and lifetime income gap then the Early Childcare Education support scheme is increased universally to 50 hours per week for all children up to 5 years old. I do not believe means testing this support is in the interest of society because the support targets gender equality and needs to allow all caregivers to return to full time paid employment after maternity/paternity leave has been exhausted. This will make more productive caregivers and improve the income of the individual and country. Caregivers who can afford the luxury of raising their children without needing paid employment are welcomed and encouraged not to use the support; this would mean voluntary entry into unpaid labour which is an important role and not to be diminished by this funding extension.

Furthermore I also suggest that to continue to support caregivers of children in state schools who cannot be alone at home (years 1-8), once again typically women, funding should be available universally for up to 10 hours per week for these children. This funding would be for after or before school childcare/education provided by the state school itself or a private provider (many already exist and include churches). This is to allow for dropping children off before a full shift of full time work and picking them up when it is finished. This will help permanently level the employment playing field between caregivers of children and unencumbered workers. 

Additionally, the current government funded school lunches program covers lower income schools and is funded for all students at the targeted school. I suggest that the funding be used for funded school breakfast clubs instead which are voluntarily entered by students going to school at 8am for the state breakfast. Parents who wish to feed their own children may simply drop off their children at 9am for standard school starts. This puts the choice back in control of the parents and also utilises the childcare support hours used in the above suggested policy. Ideally the same children that attend breakfast club may also be given a small lunch during their breakfast to be eaten at lunch.