The FPÖ and ÖVP want women to return to the kitchen

“After years of fighting for more investment in elementary education and the freedom of choice that this made possible for families, all successes are now being wiped out in one fell swoop,” says Julia Aichhorn, federal chairwoman of Young Industry, angrily. “This is particularly tragic for our children, who are deprived of access to their first educational opportunities. We know that the first years of education are the most important.”

“This is not what real freedom of choice can look like. Many women are already forced to stay at home due to the lack of care available across Austria,” explains Aichhorn. “So if we want to give Austrians the chance to be free in their decisions, we have to invest massively in early childhood education facilities.”

In Upper Austria there has been a so-called childcare bonus since 2004, which is granted to children from the age of three. The State Audit Office criticized this several years ago. “This example shows that the system has completely reduced itself to absurdity,” warns the federal chairwoman. “On the one hand, the expansion of elementary care facilities in Upper Austria has fortunately been boosted in recent years, and at the same time, in the same federal state, a “stove bonus” is being used to encourage non-use of these facilities.”

The economic implications of such funding are also serious. One cannot afford to do without young, well-educated people in the labor market. Women in particular often suffer massive career disruptions due to long periods of care and weaken their own independence. The bill comes in the pension, where the small contributions then have an impact.

“Austria has a massive mindset problem. Some still believe that out-of-home care is harmful to children. Working mothers are labeled as “raven mothers,” concludes Aichhorn. “The opposite has long been proven. External care and contact with other children in the first years of life are essential for a child’s development. Integration also works better if you start early. And how some people believe that you are a natural when it comes to educating children and are more suitable for it than all the teachers in the country – who, by the way, receive specialized training for this – is a mystery to me anyway. But of course pedagogy should not replace parents, children simply need both emotional and professional education.”