Children First : What Society Must Do – and Is Not Doing – for Children Today

Leach is renowned for her child care guides, including Babyhood (1976) and Your Baby & Child (1978); here she moves from the practical to the political in a heavy-hitting reassessment of children’s rights and roles. “Putting children at the center of society would re-value parenting and open new solutions to conflicts between working and caring,” she argues. Others may have written about such conflicts, but few have Leach’s comprehensive, practical knowledge of child development or her familiarity with child-rearing practices throughout the world. This is more than a call for responsible, effective day care. Leach considers the needs of mothers, fathers, children, and society as a whole with her recommendations for reform in home, the workplace, and community life.