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Facing other parents’ judgment, I put my baby into childcare at four months

Zoya Patel Writer October 15, 2025 — 6.00pm Advertisement

Earlier this year, my son started childcare. Though this fact in and of itself is not remarkable, what is of note – and what is a constant point of interest to other parents when I talk to them – is that he was four months old when he started.

That’s right, four months.

Unlike most Australian babies, my son began childcare when he was just four months old. Credit: Getty Images

For many parents, that might sound very early. And for most Australians, it is. According to data from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, only 16 per cent of children in childcare are younger than 12 months

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