'Free childcare has been amazing': Australian parents hope pandemic may pave way for reform

The government has vowed to roll back universal free early education once the crisis passes, but returning to a pre-Covid-19 state could be politically fraught

This is the fourth in our series on Life after lockdown, which looks at how the Covid-19 pandemic could change Australia for good

As the coronavirus pandemic began what at the time looked like a particularly ominous march forward, Fiona Ivits' four-year-old son, Kit, developed a cough. She kept him home in their Melbourne flat for two weeks but continued to do her full-time job. As the days progressed, Ivits realised that working from home with her son was not possible, and Kit started staring longingly at other children they passed on the street.

After their voluntary isolation, as Kit was well, Ivits had to decide her next steps.