China's one-child policy was instituted as an extreme measure to control the country's rapid population expansion. But with an ageing populace, the county's demographic distribution is beginning to reflect its Western counterparts. In response, the government has scrapped the policy.

In November 2013, China loosened the population control policy that had prohibited so many couples from having more than one child for more than three decades. But the baby boom that Chinese authorities and population planners were hoping for hasn’t come to pass yet.

While over 70% of American women with kids are now part of the labour force, rising childcare costs mean that paying for nursery isn’t always an option. In the first of a two-part report, we look at why there’s a childcare crisis, and how governments and alternative carers are helping out.

Australia has a childcare problem; rising costs and long waiting lists make it tricky for parents to return to work. Kindy is hoping to disrupt the babysitter market by locating trustworthy carers at the touch of a button. But do parents want to rely on ‘the Uber of childcare’ to look after the kids?