Once COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror, will the flexibility and autonomy that academic parents (particularly staff) have had to exercise during the pandemic continue?

Again, this will not be universal - as never underestimate a university's ability to make dysfunctional decisions - particularly as it comes to employment. Overall, I think the post-COVID work/family balance will be better for academic parents.

I wish that schools would come out of COVID with a commitment to invest the sums necessary in offering affordable onsite childcare and reasonably parental leave.

What will happen is that parents will have more degrees of freedom to set their schedules and to work remotely. There will be less concern across campuses of working during "working hours," as I expect the flexibility and autonomy that faculty and some staff have enjoyed will be extended to greater numbers of higher education workers.

I expect that the challenges of working in academia while raising children will become more visible, for both faculty and staff. Schools will do a better job of supporting parents and worry less about setting "lowest-common-denominator" work rules.

At least I hope that is the result.

For now, I've been enjoying seeing all the kids on Zoom meetings.