ABOUT
Playground co
I’m a single mum, and when I returned to work with my newborn (2 months old), I was one of the few lucky ones. My employers encouraged me to bring bub along. They didn’t penalise me for the midday feeds or the bedtime video calls. Most parents aren’t so fortunate. And yet, they shouldn’t have to sacrifice either income or connection.
The Reality Facing Families
70 % of Australian families rely on dual incomes just to stay afloat.
Childcare costs devour ~27 % of household income—among the highest in the OECD.
Mothers lose an average of $118,000 across their lifetime per child.
1 in 2 mothers delay returning to work due to unavailable or inflexible childcare.
40 % return to work within a year—often part-time and under pressure.
The cost? Missing milestones, forgotten cuddles, heated guilt.
The Science That Holds Us
It’s not just emotionally wrenching—it’s scientifically perilous to separate parent and baby too soon.
Prenatal and postnatal bonding is foundational to a child’s social-emotional development, with partner support a crucial factor. rise.mmu.ac.uk+1
Early maternal bonding patterns translate directly into stronger developmental outcomes like emotional regulation and academic readiness. PLOS+1
From the first hours after birth, mothers’ brains adapt—boosted by oxytocin, prolactin, and dopamine—to align with their baby’s needs. ScienceDirect+6en.wikipedia.org+6ScienceDirect+6
Mum and baby are literally wired to stand together. When we say “the guilt of leaving your baby before you should,” it’s not just emotion—it’s a survival signal.
Playground Co. isn’t just a coworking space. It’s a reclamation of time, safety, and economic justice—for the mums who’ve done it all and still deserve to thrive.
Story (expanded)
The Invisible Penalty for Years of Care
Women who give themselves to caring—raising children, caring for elderly parents—pay a lifetime price:
Women retire with one-third less superannuation than men, translating to more than $500,000 lost in wages and super over a lifetime.
Workplace Gender Equality AgencyWorkplace Gender Equality Agency+14Hellocare+14Women's Agenda+14Super contributions are often missed entirely—women lose over $26,000 on average by retirement due to unpaid super alone.
SMC Australia+11 in 4 women in Australia have unpaid super owed—adding up to $1.9 billion in lost contributions each year.
Australian Human Rights Commission+15SMC Australia+15SMC Australia+15The root causes? Career interruptions, part-time work, and caregiving roles—creating fragmented work histories, especially among older women.
VU Journals+11Workplace Gender Equality Agency+11Hellocare+11Systemic barriers compound this: a 20-year-old super framework still assumes uninterrupted full-time work—rarely the reality for caregiving women.
aihw.gov.au+15Age Care Evaluation Group+15Women's Agenda+15
The Broader Impact
Without financial stability, many older women—especially single mums—face insecurity or forced dependency. Years spent caring for children become a vulnerability in later life, not a badge of service.
That’s why Playground Co. exists.
This isn’t daycare. This isn’t a parent-only office. It’s a place where work and wellbeing co-exist. Where parents bring their babies because their bond matters. Where productivity and play aren't antithetical.
Because the truth is: the cost of separation is higher than childcare. And society deserves better than false choices.