Schools census used to enforce immigration laws, minister says

The government has revoked parents' right to retract information on their children's nationality and country of birth submitted to the schools census, months before Brexit throws the immigration status of 3 million European residents into doubt.

Officials from the Department for Education (DfE) collected the data on 6 million schoolchildren, before it was halted last June in the face of opposition from critics who said it was an attempt to turn schools into internal border checkpoints.

Confusion over the policy had already led some schools to instruct only pupils who were not "white British" to bring in identity documents, spreading alarm that it was encouraging racism and a culture of institutional hostility to migrants.

Now ministers have confirmed that not only will they continue to store the data already collected, but also that parents can no longer ask schools to enter "refused", which instructs the DfE to delete their children's data.

Schools and families have not been informed of the change in policy, which was revealed in an answer to a parliamentary question last month. Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said the "last opportunity for parents to retract [nationality and country of birth] information was via the last [schools census] collection in summer 2018".

Other data from the DfE will still be used for immigration enforcement, Gibb added. "Where the police or Home Office have clear evidence that a child may be at risk or evidence of criminal activity, including immigration, [that] pupil's address and school details may be requested from the national pupil database," he said in response to a separate question. Both questions were tabled by David Lammy, the Labour MP.

The schools census is a termly collection of details of pupils in every state school by the DfE. It includes details such as age, address and academic attainment, which are recorded in the national pupil database. Figures released in December showed that in the year to September 2018 the Home Office requested data on 835 children from the DfE, which provided it in 247 cases.

When concerns were first raised about collection of children's nationality and country of birth, the DfE had insisted that the new data would not be shared with immigration enforcement authorities, that it was only being collected for "analytical, statistical and research purposes", and that parents could opt out whenever they wanted.

But when it emerged that names and addresses of children collected through the census had since 2015 been secretly shared every month with immigration enforcement, thousands of parents in 2016 heeded calls by human rights groups and teachers' unions to boycott the questions.

After a freedom of information battle, campaigners subsequently exposed a memorandum of understanding between the DfE and the Home Office that showed that officials had originally intended for nationality and birth country data to be used for immigration enforcement.

In a move that suggests ministers had misled public over their plans, the memorandum had been quietly amended some months after public opposition emerged – and after assurances had already been given – to remove references to nationality and country of birth.

It's a mist-wreathed December morning and Hannah Weiland is in her element. "I love winter because it gives me the chance to wear a coat or jacket all the time," says the fashion designer whose label, Shrimps, is best known for its painterly, faux-fur outerwear. "Even at sweltering parties I'll be the one in a coat," she laughs as she greets me at her front door cocooned in one of her latest, guilt-free designs. It's a glossy black jacket adorned with a jacquard-woven daffodil motif which, she tells me, was inspired by springtime in her parents' garden.

Nature is a constant source of ideas for Weiland, 28, whose childhood was split between houses in London and the country. One of four children, she recalls a "fondly indulged" upbringing of "flowers, guinea pigs, ducklings and dogs. I love animals which is why I could never wear real fur." There is a rural feel to the west London home she shares with her husband, Arthur Guinness (a descendant of the brewing dynasty) and Lionel McGruff, the miniature poodle. It is a mews house – the ground floor used to be a stable. Apart from taking down a wall, Weiland has kept the decoration simple. Tongue-and-groove panelling, a butler's sink and a log-burning stove add to the rus in urbe atmosphere.

She has made it a highly personal home, filled with heirlooms and design by contemporaries who share her colourful aesthetic. Vintage lamps have scalloped shades by Matilda Goad; red mirrors by Balineum chorus from pink walls. "Pink and red is my favourite combination," she says. It all has a resonance: a Luke Edward Hall portrait of her husband or the illustration by Fee Greening, who designed the menus for Weiland’s wedding, hang above a print of Dennis the Menace: "He reminds me of Arthur."

Weiland recently revamped an heirloom sofa with a wide striped fabric. "I like to do things slowly; it gives a home personality," she says. For an Edwardian chair she chose animal-print linen in "homage" to her paternal grandmother. "Nana was always impeccably dressed; from her leopard-spotted headscarf to her 3in heels," says Weiland. When her father, Paul Weiland, a filmmaker, made Sixty Six, a film about his north London childhood, Helena Bonham Carter played Weiland’s grandmother (Gregg Sulkin was her father). Weiland had a walk-on part. "I wore a pink dress and clip-on earrings. That’s where my love of vintage started. As a teenager I was the one in the wacky outfit," says the self-possessed Weiland who hasn’t cut her pre-Raphaelite mane since she was 12. "I’ve never been into fast fashion. I prefer things you can wear obsessively and then pass down."

Why popping the question at a sporting event is the worst kind of public proposal

Sections of the internet have been aghast at the latest example of a public proposal at an inopportune sporting moment – in this case, Jersey firefighter Dennis Galvin, who interrupted his girlfriend's first attempt to run a marathon by leaping over the barriers and asking her to marry him just as she hit the 16-mile mark.

While Kaitlyn Curran said yes, and seemed delighted at the turn of the events, a lot of observers questioned whether Galvin had really picked the right moment for a romantic gesture. The proposal was captured on video by Galvin's cousin Kathleen Figueroa, and has been widely shared on social media – to much derision.

"Wow, my girlfriend is going to accomplish something pretty remarkable, something she's trained for months to achieve. When we talk about this day in years to come, what can I do to make it all about me?" said one online observer.

Someone else put it rather more succinctly: "I would've kicked him but that's just me."

Aside from the issue of taking away the glory of competing, others on social media questioned how easy it would be to get back into the rhythm of a marathon run to complete the last 10 miles, having been proposed to.

It is far from the first time that a man has decided to steal the limelight from his partner's sporting achievement, and it doesn't just happen at an amateur level. In 2016, at the Rio Olympics, diver He Zi was proposed to by colleague Qin Kai as she stepped down from the podium having just received the silver medal. Her face-palm in the pictures of the moment were clearly a result of emotion, but plenty of people on the internet face-palmed on her behalf at how her moment of Olympic glory had been turned into a sideshow to the proposal.

Of course, every couple and their relationship are different. You cannot tell from the outside whether a public proposal has come as a complete surprise, or whether a discussion of marriage and the choice of an engagement ring have already taken place in private, although observers at the New York City Marathon told CBS News that Curran had no idea the proposal was planned for during her run.

But perhaps the true hero of the public proposal at a sporting event we need is Francisco Gilabert. Gilabert was refereeing the match between Antofagasta and Everton in Chile's Primera División last month. Antofagasta midfielder Eduard Bello opened the scoring for his side within just two minutes, grabbed something from someone in the dugout, then jumped into the stands to reveal that it was a ring, and to propose to his girlfriend.

Six ways to protect your baby's skin this winter

North Bay women donate cash to feed babies

More than 152 local women gave thanks last week by donating $15,272.55 in support of local babies and families.
Donations were made in response to the 100 Women • 100 Dollars • 100 Hours campaign, which ran between Oct. 9 and 12 in the North Bay area.
All funds raised will go directly to the Trinity Infant Food Shelf, which is open to all members of our community and provides families with all of the essential baby care supplies they need to foster healthy infants in their first year.
Families are given formula, breastfeeding supplies, baby food, sleep sacks, baby blankets and more.
In addition, volunteers provide support and encouragement to new parents and caregivers, and offer health education in areas including: infant nutrition, safe sleep practices, and child development and safety.
"We are so thankful for the overwhelming support of our community for the 100 Women • 100 Dollars • 100 Hours campaign," stated Wendy Abdallah, one of the campaign organizers.
"We know that the more than $15,000 that has been raised will have a big local impact for local babies and families who benefit from the help of the Trinity Infant Food Shelf and its volunteers. Thanks to your support, the Trinity Infant Food Shelf is stocked and ready to serve our community."
The 100 Women • 100 Dollars • 100 Hours campaign was spearheaded by a group of five local organizers – Abdallah, Mark Deacon, Lynn Larondeau, Linda McLay representing the Trinity Infant Food Shelf, and Beverly Martin. Reverend Ted Harrison and Michelina Beam, both with the Trinity United Church, also provided support.
The Trinity Infant Food Shelf was first established in 2014 to respond to community need. Since its inception, it has provided support to more than 300 families, at an average cost of $650 per infant each year.
It is a not-for-profit group that is run by volunteers and is open each Wednesday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at 111 McIntyre Street East.
The Trinity Infant Food Shelf is open to all members of our community and provides families with all of the essential baby care supplies they need to foster healthy infants in their first year. Families are given formula, breastfeeding supplies, baby food, sleep sacks, baby blankets and more. In addition, volunteers provide support and encouragement to new parents and caregivers, and offer health education in areas including: infant nutrition, safe sleep practices, and child development and safety.

This anti-colic bottle finally 'cured' my baby of reflux

Judging from Lauren Indiveri's impressive bottle collection, you wouldn't think she bottle feeds her son just once per day.

"We can open our own bottle store at the rate we're going," the mum-of-two told Kidspot.

The reason why Lauren owns so many bottles is because her four-month-old son, Elian, suffers from what Lauren says is "severe reflux", and regularly vomits up all all his milk.

As such, Lauren and her husband don't really know how much milk Elian is getting per day, which prompted them to experiment with a daily bottle feed before bed.

"My son is four months old and suffers from severe reflux," Lauren explained. "He vomits a lot and especially after big feeds. I have started doing a bottle of EBM [expressed breast milk] before bed to regulate how much he eats before we lay him down for the night."

But while Elian wasn't fussy about accepting the bottle - no matter which brand - his reflux remained problematic.

"We had used some other bottle brands and he would vomit immediately after eating. And I mean a proper vomit of everything he had eaten, not just a spit up," Lauren said.
"He could cry and arch his back and just seem really unhappy."

And so Lauren kept on experimenting with more and more bottles, to no avail ... until now.

And Lauren isn't the only one singing the bottle's praises.

Anna Lin said the same anti-colic bottle is the only one she can get her daughter to accept.

"She is five-and-a-half months old. I breastfeed her but she was going through phase refusing the bottle. She did take the Tommee during a dream feed, and she took 100ml, which is actually great for her, and I found she slept much better," Anna said.

"My only issue is it's a bit more difficult to clean than other bottles, it's a bit more of a pain.

"But I will say it gets her sleeping a little bit better, which is what we strive for I suppose."

As for Lauren, while the bottle has solved Elian's reflux issues at night, she now has a whole new dilemma to face.

"He is still vomiting after breastfeeds, so I'm actually considering just doing the bottle for a while," she said.

"It’s hard - you don’t want to see your kids suffer, so yeah, I'm willing to try anything."

The Global Baby Care Market 2018-2023

The global baby care product market is witnessing high growth owing to the rise in infant population across the world, along with increasing awareness about children's healthcare. The companies operating in the baby care market are focusing on various strategies to gain a better foothold in the global market.

Depending on the various products available in the market, the global baby care market is classified into baby cosmetics and toiletries, baby convenience and safety products, and baby food or formula. The demand for the toiletries segment is anticipated to be the largest and the most promising in the coming years. This is due to rising awareness about the nutritional requirements and hygiene of babies in developed and developing countries.

Based on the distribution channel, the market is segmented into online distribution channels, and offline distribution channels. The online distribution channel is expected to be the largest, as well as the fastest segment. This is because of the growing popularity of online platforms where consumers can compare different products and their prices along with easy returns and timely delivery to their doorsteps.

Despite so many factors driving the market, rigid legislations regulating the marketing and manufacturing of baby care products is one of the most critical factors that is expected to limit the demand in the coming years. Moreover, entrants of the baby care market are facing high entry barriers and stiff competition.

New Child Care Subsidy: I fear efforts to close the gender pay gap could suffer

There is some trepidation among parents as the start date for the new Child Care Subsidy kicks in.

We know there are benefits for a number of two-parent working families.

But we already know that many families won't qualify for the subsidy because parents won't meet the new work, study or volunteer test. And we already know that many families have found the process of registering complex and, in fact, for some, just too damn hard.

All these are serious concerns that could lead to parents not qualifying for support, which will punish their children by denying them access to early learning.

But there are also real dangers that the new system will undermine the ability of professional women to continue their careers and will further entrench the gender pay gap.

This is about the woman I was 25 years ago, with young children, trying to continue a career.

I had worked full time as a journalist and then media relations advisor until my first child was born. A few years of being self-employed part-time led to, before my children were at school, a full-time venture. But would that be viable under the latest childcare subsidy system?

According to KPMG modelling, a mum who is professionally qualified, and works three days a week with two children in long day care, ends up only a little bit better off financially if she increases her weekly workload from three to four days.

Using a salary of $100,000 a year on a full-time equivalent basis, and assuming her spouse earns the same full-time salary and that childcare is $120 a day, the extra day's work results in the professionally trained woman effectively working for less than the minimum wage.

But going from four days a week to full time is worse. After tax and extra childcare costs, the family's disposable income is actually reduced – the family is going backwards financially.

Now, I am the first to argue that working is not simply about the money. Being able to keep working in your profession as a mother of young children is both a blessing and a curse.

You feel the guilt and struggle with sleep deprivation, yet at the same time have these wonderful moments when you aren't defined by whatever food remnant remains on your blouse. In fact, for me it meant I got to wear work clothes and feel like I wasn't only defined by my ability to get a child fed, bathed and in bed.

And I got the satisfaction of improving my professional standing and laying the groundwork in my business so that as my children grew, I was well placed to expand and grow.

But how much harder would that have been had I known that not only was I costing the family in terms of stress, but that my decision to work full time was also going to send the family financially backwards for those years of childcare? It's a pretty strong disincentive.

While you'd like to think families would try and look at the incomes both parents bring in as a single combined amount, it's hard to escape the cold hard fact that less money to spend is purely the consequence of one parent's extra days' work.

These work disincentives not only reduce the earnings for a woman in the short term, but flow through our finances for the rest of our lives.

This sort of policy makes it harder for professional women to close the gender pay gap.

What does the disincentive lead to in terms of professional standing and promotion prospects of a woman? And what are the financial consequences for women's superannuation balances?

At the very least, it risks putting some of us back behind the starting line, and means there's an even bigger gap to make up when we do return to work full time, presumably when we no longer have the heavy costs of full-time childcare.