Regarding Child Care In The United States?
What, If
Any Should Government's Role Be
Regarding Child Care In The United States?
Excerpts From
Margaret Bohannon-Kaplan, Editor
One thousand two hundred and eighty-five high school juniors and seniors from one hundred and fifty schools in thirty-eight states participated in the 1991 Harry Singer Foundation Essay Contest.
In an attempt to economically and efficiently share the product of students' thought and research, the Foundation decided to reproduce only one essay in its entirety. This decision allows us to present excerpts from a greater variety of papers than would be possible if only top papers were published. We believe legislators, educators, parents, other students and the general public may find many of the participants' comments informative, interesting and even amusing.
Our purpose in holding an annual contest focusing on a controversial public policy issues, is to let young people know that we are listening to what they have to say and we care what they think. We ;hope to arouse their interest in public policy before they get into the habit of not caring and not voting.
It has been said that liberty is the hardest test that one can inflict on a people. Our form of government can prosper only so long as citizens remain informed and involved. Only an educated populace will be able to maintain and perpetuate the ideals which made this nation great. Only through education will the people be able to govern themselves and compete in the new world of the twenty-first century.
John F. Kennedy once said, "The efforts of governments alone will never be enough. In the end the people must choose and the people must help themselves.
Margaret Bohannon-Kaplan
Co-Founder, The Harry Singer Foundation
Carmel, California
May 10, 1991
"A loving, caring parent staying at home with a child during the formative years sounds like the ideal situation." IL
"The ideal proposition would be to have a parent at home with the child while the other parent works." OH
"It would be wonderful if
one parent could stay at home with the children." OR
"Most parents believe that
the safest and best child care is provided by a parent or a close
relative." CA
"The best thing for a
child is to have a stay-at-home mom." OK
"The obvious first choice
of who should care for the children is a mother or father." MI
". . .a mothers caring for
their children at home would probably be best for the children." VA
". . .in most cases it
would be best if the moms stayed home with their children." NE
"Mothers taking care of
their own children at home is almost always what's best for the children."
CT
"It would be ideal if
today's world would allow one parent to stay home and raise the children."
CA
"A recent survey indicates
that 88 percent of mothers would prefer to stay at home with their children,
instead of being out working." VA
"Parental care is
definitely the ideal route. . ."OH
". . .what is best for the
children is the parent staying home with the children in the first place."
MI
"(Mothers) should stay at
home and care for their children even
if it means quitting their job." NE
"The best thing for a
child is to have a stay at home mom." OK
"Almost all the parents
agreed that care by one or both parents is the best of all possible
worlds." SD
"If mothers had the
choice, most of them would probably decide to stay home to take care of their
children." CA
"Usually, in most cases,
the best care for children is their own parents." MO
"An ideal solution to the
entire child care controversy would be for the mothers to stay home." TN
"Most of us feel that
parents are the best caretakers of their children. . ."OK
"Through a survey which I
have conducted, a general consensus has been established that parental care is
the best kind of care a child can receive." PA
"The ideal situation would
be for one parent to stay home with the kids." OR
"Experts in the field of
child care agree that an infant is the best off when in the care of his/her
mother, if she can afford to stay home." MI
"No one can argue the fact
that a good mother constantly at home will provide a child with the very best
care he or she can obtain." ID
". . .if one spouse stayed
home, there would be fewer people in the work force.
This would raise wages and make it easier to live on one income. also, there would be no need for a child care law because the
parent who was not working could care for the children." OK
"I feel we have lost our
perspective on how much work it takes to make a household work efficiently and
for all the people inside to feel loved." NE
"I think it's clear that
the best way to care for children is to stay at home." IL
"Two caring parents who
can supervise their own child is the best situation for a child, but this is not
always possible." CA
"In time, the mothers'
search for child care teaches them a critical lesson:
no matter how many licenses are issued, how many guidelines are
established or how much money is paid, it is impossible to have quality control
over the capacity of one human being to love and care for another.
Slowly, painfully, mothers come to stunning realizations--the persons
they are looking for are right under their noses. Mothers are trying to hire themselves. And that's why smart women are staying home." OK
"The goals I have for my
own life include being the best wife I can be to the man I marry.
Secondly, I hope to be a mother who is a role model to my children.
Personally, I wish to stay at home so that I and my husband are the ones
who raise my children." OK
"When I have children
someday, either I or my wife are going to stay home and watch them, not send
them to day care centers or to some other strangers' home because family is
best." NE
Or
do they?
"The quality of time
sacrificed by a working parent overwhelms the quantity of unrewarding time often
given by stay-at-home mothers. And
besides, employed mothers are found to spend only about five hours less per week
on tending to their children than non-employed mothers." IL
"(A recent study showed)
children reared by their mothers tended to be more whiny, cranky and
irritable." NY
"My mother stayed home with me till I was seven years old. Then she got a part time job but she was still home when I got home from school. I guess when I look back at this I'm glad she was there and I didn't have to go to a babysitters. But I don't think I personally could be happy without a career. I'm a nineties woman; I want it all!" MI
"What do you think about a woman who is a homemaker who can't cook and doesn't enjoy sewing but fills her time with menial tasks?. . .she is more depressed more often than anybody I've ever met. . .(she) sleeps in until the minute kids leave for school. . .(she) spends the day washing clothes and watching. . ."the soaps". . . About supper time (she) is so tired of staying home that she 'has to get out of the house and away from the kids!' We have just defeated mom's sole purpose in wanting to live without a job. 'I don't want a stranger bringing up my kids!' Right, mom. Instead your children have learned to live on their own when you are too depressed to spend time with them. . .People can't have a positive feeling towards their home and family if they are confined to an area where they are never challenged to exert themselves. . .If our government encouraged women to work through secure child care provisions, (this woman) could learn to feel good about herself, thus enjoying the time she spends with her children." IL
"Failing to provide child care will not encourage women to stay home." NY
"Stay-at-home mothers spend their time doing household chores, leaving very little responsibility for the children." IL
". . .a current study by the Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut show that children with mothers who work after that child's first year of life have normal, well-adjusted children." OH
"When the parent isn't working, a child is forced into being with an emotionally unstable mother or father every second of the day. . . children seem to benefit more from parents who both work simply because those parents are usually happier. When mother or father is satisfied with his/her own life, their positive attitude is channeled to the children." IL
"Personally, I believe that a mother should still work when her child is young. . .I feel that one day when I am out in the real world and have a good steady career, I'm not going to want a child to stand in my way." NJ
"America still believes
that the woman should be at home. Until
this bias is resolved, working women and their children will not get the support
they need." NY
Is this selfish?
"Men and women want to have children, but they don't want to take responsibility and sacrifice anything for them." CO
"Working for sheer pleasure is not a responsible act toward the children and the tax payers. Too many parents are neglecting the obligation they have to take care of their children." PA
"Caring for children seems to be an annoying restriction to parents rather than the precious joy it should be." KY
"The world is like a chain reaction. If it is introduced to negative material, then soon our whole society will turn into a chaotic mess. . .The adults of today's world must forget about themselves and start thinking about what is best for the children." TX
"Maybe with the economy these days you can't live on one income but if you plan to have children you should decide whether the new clothes and nice career are more important than your children." NE
". .Parents need to start considering their children's well-being over income." MI
"It seems that the view of people in the 90s is: I want to be successful first, and then possibly have a family. . .if I have time. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing the matter with being a success. What's wrong is achieving that goal at the expense of the children." OK
"If a parent has to give up a career (identification: to pursue an ultimate goal.) or other comforts, then so be it. A successful parent must place the well being of the child above all else. Anything less would be neglect." IL
"Some women may want to stay at work. But do they have good reasons to work? Is the reason because they want the money or they need the money?" NE
"The government isn't asking any mothers to stay at home, but maybe they should. . .It doesn't matter which of the two parents stay at home, but the point is the goals of one of them should be delayed for awhile." CT
"Society has grown not only to accept child care but, to a major extent, depend upon it. We have lost sight of our responsibility as parents and have simply established ourselves as a selfish generation who will not even put forth the time and effort to raise our own children." CA
". . .think before you have a child and be able to afford the time and money and not rush into it." NE
"I say that women should have the same opportunities equal to those of men, and not have to be concerned with the type of treatment their child is getting." LA
"A woman is a human and deserves the right to work." MO
"Women are increasingly moving into the workplace as high-level executives, chairman, and even presidents. This places a burden on our society as to who stays home and takes care of the children. Women holding these positions are paying our government money so the government should try and help them in terms of child care. That is only fair." TX
"In today's shifting society, with taxes and goods getting higher while incomes seem to be motionless, the woman has put down her apron and iron, and traded them in for a computer terminal and a welder's torch." NY
"I can imagine that women have higher self confidence and self esteem knowing that they are earning their own living to help support the family. But, I believe, there are a few circumstances that must happen before a mother should work. First, as in the case of my mother, the wife should go back to work when the kids are old enough and responsible enough to take care of themselves, or at least take care of each other. Secondly . . .the mother will teach her children the values of respect, courtesy and cooperation, on a more personal note than a baby-sitter or a day care. Thirdly, the children will be growing up without knowing who their mother is." NE
"The more parents that are in the work force, the more income tax dollars will be paid to our government. Consequently fewer parents will be staying at home collecting unemployment. Therefore earning more revenue for the government and saving it at the same time. So, shouldn't these be the parents who benefit the most from the government subsidized child-care programs?" PA
It
has been suggested that maybe some people shouldn't have children . . .
"I feel that if a family needs both parents working to raise a child, then they shouldn't have had the child in the first place." VA
"If the parents are that poor that both parents should work or if one of the parents can't stand to stay at home all day long with their children they should know better than to have children." KS
"So, before you have any children make sure you have the money and are willing to sacrifice your time and sometimes your career." NE
"The best solution to our child care problems would be the parents being more prepared for children. They should try to save some money so that when a child is born the mother can stay home with the baby till he can go to school." SD
"First, if the parents want children, they need to plan ahead and understand the cost of child care." KS
"Another suggestion is to devise more information programs telling potential mothers the real responsibility of having a kid." CT
"I'm worried that when I have my own children, the government will say, 'if you can't afford child care, why did you have children in the first place.'" NE
"As far as I'm concerned the government is doing enough and doesn't need to get any more involved. The children are the responsibility of the parents, not the government. If the parents can't handle children, then they never should have had them." MT
And
that some parents put too much emphasis on material things . . .
". . .the mother must ask herself if having more things is better for a child than having the love security, and attention that are present when the mother is home with her children." AR
"I believe that most parents do try to keep their children's interests first, but in this day and age parents feel that having all the finer luxuries will bring their children an abundance of happiness. Sometimes the children would rather have more quality time and a real old-fashioned family life, than an expensive possession that will not last." CA
I definitely think the love and care my sister and I got was much more important than the extra material goods that my parents could have bought us if my mom had worked. Possessions come and go; but love, memories and good values of responsibility will remain with (us) forever." IL
"A child will benefit more from having parents that really care for them than any material possession that money can provide." MI
"My mother once said she would never work while we were young. She said we didn't have much, but she considered us more important than work. One does not hear this saying much anymore." WI
"During the 80s, women have felt the pressure to have a career to help the family financially, but in essence, they are helping to raise money instead of raising their children. A child should be raised by his or her parents, even if the family has to take a loss financially. Although working mothers ease the economic dilemma of family finances, the mother and child relationship suffers. . .The reason for having children is to see a child grow up under a parent's guidance and love. If a child is born for these reasons, why do parents place their child in day care? Some working mothers say that the reason they work is to make more money so their child can have a better life. Is making money and giving your child materialistic things more important than seeing your child grow up? PA
"In today's world of rising costs, staying home with the children is a luxury few women can afford. However, economics should not be a reason to lose our children to others." NJ
"I do not believe the government should be responsible for raising the children of the United States. The need for child care should be taken into consideration before people decide to have a family. People should also decide if being a full time parent is more important than a few extra luxuries. Most children would appreciate their mother being at home when they get home from school more than a new pair of British Knights." PA
"The families, in which the mother works, can be described as higher income and better educated families. Fifteen percent of the children left on their own are left by mothers who completed college, as compared to eight percent of the children being left by high school graduates. Apparently the educated mothers are trying to use their education to earn money, while they fail to see the importance of being with their children." MI
That parents are needed to instill character and morality in tomorrow's leaders...
"A child is like a tree. A child is a seed that grows with proper nourishment. Like a tree the child will bend with the wind if it has been taught to. If we do not teach our children the values of life and how to cooperate with other people, they will break. How can a parent teach a child when he or she is out working to feed the child and put a roof over the child's head?" OK
"When you have a child growing up, that child needs love and care from his or her mother. Once the child has grown up, then the mother can certainly pursue a career of her own. In the decades before the 1970s most mothers stayed home with their children. Also in those generations things such as suicides, rape, murder, high school dropouts, etc. were not prevalent problems. But as the mother goes out the house and into the workforce as happened in the past few decades, all the issues just listed have risen dramatically." PA
"Loss of the family unit could be to blame for the decline of the moral climate in society." OR
". . .the mother must ask herself if having more things is better for a child than having the love security, and attention that are present when the mother is home with her children." AR
"There are many reasons why I feel that being a stay-at-home mom is so important. First, a baby cannot tell a mother what type of care he or she got through the day. Also, memories can never be changed and values are much easier taught to a young child. IL
"I think that everyone will admit that the deterioration of the family unit is a large contributor to the many problems in society, including crime, alcoholism and drug abuse. I am afraid that any resolution which would encourage a less active interaction between parents and their children would be a definite mistake. I think that congress should look into the past. In the past, marriage and children came about only after financial stability was attained. Maybe we should come up with some plan to encourage this kind of responsibility and should definitely shy away from any plan which would reward couples for irresponsible decisions." OK
"I found out that in my
younger years that when your parents buy you things you tend to treat them with
less respect than if you had bought them yourself.
so if you buy them things don't make a habit of it.
Make them work for what they get, there are always chores to do around
the house. Just make them realize
that somebody has worked hard for what they have, and if they do pay for some of
their own things they will get a taste of what the adult world is like.
Then they will respect what they have because they know whoever worked
for what they have worked hard and they should respect that." NE
"Parents should always understand that they too need to spend plenty of time with their children. They can not always have government programs or any other programs take care of their children. Family love and affection is very important to children." KS
"Many of today's children are growing up not knowing the difference between good and evil, simply because they have never had a parent that taught them the difference. Some parents also confuse the child by doing things that the child knows are wrong." OR
"Once again, in a federally controlled day care it would not have been possible to learn the lessons that taught me my values in life." AL
"But throughout the past decade, the number of our nation's mothers in the work force has increased dramatically. Many of them are working only out of economic necessity. Their absence from the home is leading to the deterioration of family life. Family life is becoming a car ride in the morning to day care, another one home and then dinner." PA
"Is the income that vital, compared to the well-being of the children? Who teaches the children morals and ethical standards? In the past twenty years, ever since mothers have been . . .expanding the work force the crime rate in the United States has jumped to an alarming rate. This also includes child abuse and spouse abuse and this can also be attributed to the stress of work and financial problems.. . .The lifestyle with the mother working has reaped some awful repercussions. We as a society have seen our divorce rate jumped to an alarming rate. We've seen our jails become overcrowded. . ." MI
"One possible opposing view on this in-school day care is that it may, in a sense condone promiscuity among teenagers, sending the message that society will take care of one's mistakes." VA
"While the parent-child relationship diminishes so does the child's morals and ethics." KY
". . .the children of today are tomorrow's leaders. Wouldn't it be nice if they are honest, upright citizens with high religious values? Then why does the government want to deprive and weaken its future by prohibiting religious values and morals to be taught or practiced in daycare programs? Why would the federal legislature open with a prayer yet prohibit preschoolers from praying over lunch?" AL
"It will always be extremely difficult to find persons who feel such affinity for an unrelated child that they will repeatedly go out of their way to do the tiny, precious things that make children thrive rather than merely survive. . ." NJ
That
government's role in child-care should be small to nonexistent . . .
"The government's proper role in child care is none at all." PA
"The government's role in child-care should be limited to a bare minimum because the children belong to the parents, not the government." MI
"Direct interaction in the child care industry by the government would only infringe upon Americans' privacy, while driving overall child care costs even higher." OR
". . .it is not the government's job to control our home and family life. The government should not have a say in family matters unless abuse is involved. It is the parents' job to take care of their child and to decide what is best for them as a family. If they feel that their . . .children are safe at a day care center or with a baby sitter, then that is their choice, not the government's role. Child care does need improvement, but it will be up to individuals and families to make the problem better." OK
"In this day and age, how could anyone sit idle and let the future of our children be run by our government? Therefore, the United States government shouldn't play a vital role in the regulation of child care nor should it create a national child care system." AL
"It is the responsibility of the parents to fund and provide the proper child care for their own children. This should not be the government's responsibility." CA
"The entire world, including the United States, can avoid the misfortunes that the Soviets encountered by not attempting to provide costly services such as child-care directly to its people. . .To avoid misfortune, the U. S. must step away from being the provider and become more of a facilitator." MI
"It is the parents job to take care of their children, not the governments. I don't think people that are taking care of their own children, or don't have any children, should pay for people who can't afford to pay for their (own) children. Because the parents, or anyone who loves the children, will have a much greater influence on those children's lives than the government will. If you have kids and you can't provide for them you should have thought about that before you had kids." NE
"Our government is faced with too many problems that it is unable to handle, like economic recession or illiteracy or drug abuse. Taxes are sky high, employment rates have hit rock bottom and needed shelter is inaccessible. Now is not the time for government ideals on child care. As Representative Clyde Holloway so eloquently put it, "The only thing worse than a bad idea is an expensive bad idea.' Child care legislation would be an expensive, bad idea." OR
"Government involvement in child care should consist of the following: 1)defining and demostrating the great need for positive, responsible child care; 2) setting standards for an adequate and efficient system and 3)improving the child care plans that have been instituted to date, relative to welfare and enforcement of child support laws. Responsibility for the physical implementation and setting up of child care facilities, on the other hand, should rest in the hands of communities and the private sector." OH
"I feel that the government should never have to provide one hundred percent of the cost. This will lead to a system similar to welfare for the unemployed, which leaves many jobless people with no incentive to find a job. Likewise, why attempt to pay for my child's care when the government will do it for me? This is a problem to avoid." NE
"Many times government intervention is useless and costly. Government programs are usually good in theory, but the end results are an embarrassment to our system. . .We don't need poor day care in this country." MI
"The government should have a role only when there is reason to believe that something is wrong. Parents are the ones who decide how they want their children to be brought up, not the government." WI
"Hopefully these deductions will eliminate the need for federal regulations on child care. By allowing the families to keep this money to use for child care, the government is giving the power back to the people, where it belongs. For these reasons, I believe that the government should decline involvement in child care policies." FL
"If a husband and wife have to both work to make ends meet, they should either be able to afford a good day care center on their own, or not have any children until they can afford it. The government has no place in child care." NE
". . .the largest effect of government subsidies is to lower the quality of workmanship. This, though, is not the only reason government should not pay for any portion of child care. Free child care will reduce the financial burden of a child on the family. This, in turn, will lead to an increased birth rate, aggravating an already grievous problem of overpopulation in many U.S. cities." CA
"Some government involvement in the child care issue is necessary to prevent mistreatment of women in the work force and to prevent sexist hiring practices. Protective laws and regulations are needed for child care providers as well. But child care and having children are personal matters and the government should not make personal decisions for parents regarding the care of their children." OR
"I believe it is the parent's duty to care for their child. If a couple decides to have kids they should be planning for their child's future, and they should know if they can or cannot support a baby. I believe child care should come from the home and let the government deal with problems such as war, the economy and taxes." NE
"Funding of child care would require close monitoring and watching. Today's government just does not have the time or money to add on that responsibility. Our government has many other things to fund and worry about, therefore they do not need to take on another issue like child care. Even though there are recent bills in favor of government support, it is in the best interest of everyone if they are not passed." OH
"They should not create a federal program because, as shown in the past, government programs have gotten way out of hand both in spending and in growth. . .As the system of capitalism displays, if the demand is great enough, the supply will also increase to meet that demand. The U.S. government should not get involved." AZ
"However, by regulating the day care market, the government would discourage individualistic programs which offer an alternative to normal child care services. Every child care center would be forced to work under strict guidelines, thus creating a stagnant, non competitive market." OR
"The reason most young teens do not have children is the financial problem. . . government paying for child-care ( would make it) too easy. " MD
"The less the government gets involved with child care, the less problems it will create." OH
"I have found through my research, that although our society needs child care, the U.S. government should have no involvement regarding child care. Government involvement would not only raise the cost of child care, but it would also affect the quality of the care provided. . .The President's proposal also ensures child support to divorced mothers. Unfortunately this may encourage some poor families to split up." FL
"I really think that the government should have nothing to do with day care mainly because it's the parents' responsibility. . .I don't think the government should endorse these centers. I think the government should encourage taking care of the kids at home." NE
"The government's role concerning child-care is a controversial issue. There are so many people with different religious beliefs, moral values, and opinions that it is difficult to agree; I believe that the role of the government should be limited as much as possible in every given situation." OR
"It is the responsibility of the family, not government! Therefore, the government should not have a role nor take any actions in spending our tax dollars on this issue. The parents have the responsibility to take care of their children. If they relinquish this responsibility, or the government allows them to, then our reputation for self sufficiency is weakened and could prove detrimental to our future." OH
"In seeking to regulate yet another facet of life, the American government appears to be heading down the 'yellow brick road' toward the 'emerald city' of socialism and socialization where every person gets every need fulfilled at no direct cost to the individual." SD
". . .if the child care bill is passed, a revolt in the middle class will emerge for two reasons. The first reason is the 20% tax credit for child care expenses which they now have will be restricted. The second reason is the families that are well off will have to pay taxes on companies that provide day care centers." TX
"But I can't see how anyone could like the idea that the government wants to control how someone brings up their children. If the rest of the world wants to be controlled, then that's fine, but not me! I'm raising my kids the way I want to and not how the government says to." AL
"As you can see, no matter if you are a working parent or not, your children are you're responsibility. They are dependent upon you for care, discipline, material goods, and education. No one else should provide these things. It is up to YOU." NE
"If the government does establish a national child-care agency for working parents, using it might be a tough decision for parents to face. For if the government is still following its unsuccessful tradition of doing things, parents will risk enrolling their children in an understaffed and under budgeted program. Maybe parents will decide that the health and welfare of their child is too important to leave to another and will manage somehow to live off just one income." OR
"Government is already too involved in the citizens' daily lives and should not become further involved through child care." OH
"People other than parents are going to have to teach America's children the norms of today's society, and instill values into them. . .The American government should be responsible for developing these changes and implementing them." MI
"If the leaders of this country hope to curb the violence, drug addiction and moral decay of this country then it must assume some responsibility for the care of it's young citizens." VA
"If government takes any action at all, it should be to preserve the family setting, not promote deterioration." AZ
"Even though people look to the federal government in times of hardship, our government should not be held accountable for inadequate family planning, economic shortcomings, and failing family life." OR
". . .it won't be long before the government may try to reach inside the home and control the children there. . . I think today's parents should care for their own children, instead of leaving them with trusted strangers and under governmental regulations that they wouldn't have to follow at home." NE
"America is a nation of free-enterprise, wanting as little government interference as possible. The scales of the government not interfering outweighs the scale of government interference." AL
"No thank you, Uncle Sam. We can and should take care of child-care ourselves." OK
That
stay-at-home mothers are better for children and society as a whole . . .
"If only we could get the mothers or fathers to stay home and raise their kids, instead of strangers, our society of tomorrow might be a better place to live." MT
". . .no matter how good the child care is, it is not possible for it to be as good as parents taking personal care of the children." TX
"A parent at home would also give the child a reason to take pride in his or her work at school or home by taking an interest in the youth's life." AZ
"A parent who chooses to stay home and not pursue a career outside of the home is spending valuable time with the child. The parent keeps a family atmosphere in the home and hopefully will bring the value of a family back to society." MI
". . .mothers who do not go out to work, provide better and more fulfilling lives for their children. . .There are always disadvantages to every situation, but the advantages of mothers who stay at home to raise her children, are much greater and more important." OH
"No matter how devoted a babysitter is to a child, it isn't the same to the child as having his own parents to provide consistent, loving discipline. . . Children need their mothers at home." MI
"Many tests run on children from child cares and stay home situations lean firmly toward staying home. Studies show that by five or six months old, most of a baby's physical and mental abilities are acquired and the infants who bond solely with a mother or father have more well adjusted children." WA
"Recent studies have indicated that even children in quality child care situations may not do as well academically or socially as generations before who spent their younger years home with mom." MN
"When the question is asked, "What is really best for the children?', one has to say that there is just no substitute for a child's parents. No day-care center or run-of-the-mill social worker can teach a child about life with the love and devotion of a mother and father. though it may seem unfair to the woman who wishes to remain in the working force, a strong argument is given that states that the mother's round-the-clock presence is crucial to normal development of a child." NY
But
even on this point there is diversity of opinion . . .
"Sometimes however, mothers do not deserve to have their children at home with them. Some because they drink or take drugs, or because they abuse their children. Others however, are just mean and rotten; they make their children cry and give their children complexes." PA
"The government cannot see the craving of the youngsters in this country for protection from abusive, insulting and discouraging parents. By forming a committee and organizing a program in which people are investigated, to compose reports on how children are cared for by protecting the children of today, society can insure the future." VA
"Author, Betty Friedan, insists that children blossom in child care. . .Day cares will ultimately become beneficial to society by better preparing children for real life situations." MI
"I am very much in favor of taking your child to a day care center and allowing the mother to go back to work." NE
"Taking care of a child all day every day is definitely physically demanding and many women feel they are not rewarded for their hard efforts. However, if a mother has a good job, she receives such rewarding things as high pay, promotions, and maybe even social status." IL
"Early reports on children who spent time in day care were optimistic that those children were more independent and made friends easier, but more recent studies shed a large degree of concern on the affects of day care." CA
"The pro side to government day care is very minimal, but it does exist. Society is very different from what it used to be. We, as a country, cannot be so narrow-minded as to not see the needs of others. The fact is that many Americans are in need of a service like a government day care program." MI
"Mothers who are forced to stay at home with their children, as opposed to getting a job, sometimes don't feel very good about themselves. They develop a low sense of self-worth. They feel that their life is pointless and that they are not accomplishing anything for themselves. When the mother has a poor attitude, the child is bound to develop a poor attitude." KS
"There are plenty of jobs out there, and there is no excuse for both parents not working." CT
"But kids don't really appreciate a family dinner as compared to a new Barbie doll." TX
"A working mother also shows the child that mom is trying to do her part in the well being of the family by working. She is helping out greatly with the financial status of the family. It also shows the child you have to work for what you get. The child may also realize that some sacrifices have to be made to achieve the goal. Finally the children may realize the parents are doing it for them." IA
"Clearly a child who has a working mother, who cares for them, will develop into a better person in the long run. The child will learn more, discover more, be more independent and be able to do things on their own. In a sense the child will be more prepared for what society has in store for them." MA
"Is mom patient enough to deal with junior for upwards of fourteen hours a day? In many cases the answer is no. And when mom becomes impatient, bad things can begin to happen. What began as a wholesome desire to be with her child could quite possibly turn into a horrible story of child abuse." MI
"There are many ways a child can be given a happier home life. Some of these options are children homes, foster care and other family members such as aunts or grandparents." MO
"(Many children questioned by Parent's magazine) said that if their mothers did not work, it would not be as much fun because they would not have as much money to get new clothes or take vacations. A few children said that even if their mother did stay at home, they would not see them that much anyway. Because of their activities such as soccer, little league, piano practice, church activities, and basketball practice, they would get home about the same time their mothers would from work. Others children said having a working mother gave them more space, time to be alone. When asked if they felt they would work outside the home when they grew up, most of the children said they would. They stated they 'would not feel useful simply sitting around the house'." SD
If
we stipulate that stay-at-home mothers should be encouraged, the question
becomes "how?". . .
"Child care subsidies place government's moral authority behind one way of raising children. They say that mothers who work deserve the help, while those who stay home don't." PA
"Raising a family as work, is undervalued. The responsibilities are overwhelming. Her work is not like any other job. Her job is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." OK
"Saying that mom should stay at home and let dad support the family financially sounds sexist. But it may be the answer. If moms still want a job, there are plenty of 'work at home jobs' for them, at least until the children are past that crucial age of development. Actions speak louder than words, and letting children know that they are more important than a career is the most important thing they could learn." OR
". . .parental care of small children in the home is preferred, and many families do sacrifice the benefit of a second income so that they may do so. The child care policy should take into consideration the needs of all parents, not just those who do choose to work and rely on others to care for their children." AL
"The government could pass a bill giving a tax cut for families who want one parent to stay home with the children. This would allow families who really need two incomes a chance to stay home and raise their children without living in poverty." PA
"Even though they do not feel cheated out of a career, they do feel that the job of raising children is greatly undervalued. People who take care of other people's children are considered to have a respected career, but stay-at-home mothers, who raise their own children, are considered to be unemployed." OK
". . .an at-home work plan. . . allows an employee to do the same amount of work, in the same amount of time, and receive the same annual salary. The only difference is that he/she is working at home and not in the office. The parent can stay with the child all day and not have to worry about leaving him/her. this will help to avoid a lot of stress. The parent can simply fax his/her work into the office on a fax machine." OH
"About the only thing the government can do to encourage this is offer tax breaks to families when one parent decides to stay home." PA
"Some use the excuse that it is not financially possible for the family to live on only one income. In most cases, though, this is proven to be untrue in two-parent families. If a mother were to quit her job, there would automatically be fewer expenses. The amount of money spent on child care, transportation, clothes, and taxes would go down. The family could save money by having a garden, preserving food, and even by giving the kids home haircuts. If the family were to cut back on many things and was still unable to make it financially, there are ways in which a mother can work at home. Mothers can give music lessons, make crafts to sell, do small catering jobs and run typing services." MI
"If the government would allow 'at home credits' for mothers to stay home with their children, this might enable mothers to care for their children." KS
"There are ways to earn money and support a family while remaining at home, but moms must put aside certain material values and accept less income that allows them to stay at home." CA
"Stay-at-home moms have chosen the rougher road financially than those who drop their children off at a day-care center and proceed on to their office for their chosen profession. Financial sacrifices are made that affect the whole family because of only one income rather than two incomes." VA
"If tax breaks for child care are given to upper middle class and high class people, then they also need to be given to the mothers who choose to stay at home. Our programs should not encourage mothers or fathers to leave their children but should assist those parents who have to do so for financial stability." NE
"A mother should take time out from her full-time job and consider doing it part-time, at least for the first few years of the baby's life." MI
"Having a mother to stay at home to raise the children is beneficial in many areas. . .The federal government should support these mothers by allowing a budget for child care to be given to mothers who stay at home. . .Responsibility should not only be placed on the family but the government should provide certain funds for the mothers who take on such a task as raising our future leaders. Having a stay-at-home mom will help the child develop respect and trust for the parent by knowing they are able to count on them to always be there." KS
"However, non-working mothers are not included in the programs for some reason. They receive no aid in raising their children. . .The government must feel that if a mother stays home to raise her children then there must not be a need for a tax credit since day care costs are not among their expenses. " PA
"In the 90s, it seems that more and more women are leaving the work force and staying home to raise their children. Women with degrees or that already have had a job are deciding to give it up and become a homemaker. . .Since more women are deciding to stay home, stay-home mothers have more support." CA
"It is true that many single parents and second parents are becoming employed but the 'nuclear family' is not becoming obsolete. Many single parents and usual stay-at-home mothers are taking jobs that are not full time and are still in charge of their children during most hours of the day" AL
"I feel that the government should set up day care centers for single parents who cannot afford to pay but a small fee for a babysitter, so that the parent can spend more time raising his child. I also feel that the government should give special benefits to the children of single parents." PA
"The interference of government through funds and support is encouraging mothers to work. Especially in the larger cities, the children are consequently being deprived of their needs. Therefore, it appears that the government needs to let mothers handle child care." TX
"If care by the mother is better than institutional day care, as seems to be the case in light of the information provided above, perhaps we should share this information with possible future mothers. If the girls in question also desire a career, they could continue working when their children became older. I do not think it would be too hard a trial for a mother to wait until the children become school-aged before continuing her career in light of the blessings children would bring into her life." OK
"Mothers are finding ways to stay home by getting a job in which they can stay home. An at-home business is a good way to make some extra money while still being able to care for the children. Making crafts and selling them is a good way to make some money. Doing accounting work at home, and even babysitting; these are all fine ways of making money while remaining in the home." IA
"The paid homemaking concept is similar to veteran's benefit because it compensates the homemakers for time spent in service to America since raising children means shaping the nation's future. The children would be taught by their natural parents and grow up in a secure environment which would stimulate learning and intellectual growth. The family unit would be strengthened, self-esteem raised, and stress greatly reduced since the mother would be home with the children and not trying to balance family and work. . .many women would choose to stay home since they would be getting additional money from the government instead of from a source outside the home. Also, the parents could choose alternate years of work at home so that both of them could pursue their own careers as well as spend time raising the children. However, if the mother chose to take on the homemaking responsibility full-time and still wanted to pursue additional education or work outside the home, she could do so after the children are grown." AZ
"Working parents can work opposite shifts in order to make sure that one parent is always at home with the children." PA
"I realize there are situations where both parents must work. The financial situation would 'fall apart' without both incomes. There are sometimes successful ways of parenting in these situations too. How about a home business? Can on parent do his/her job from the home? Is there a relative near that cares more about your children than the money received for doing it? Maybe one parent can get a part time job, or a job during school hours only, so when the kids are out of school they can come home to mom or dad. Is it possible for mom to see them off to school, and dad ready at home after school? In this case both can work, a sitter is not needed and the evenings are for the family." NE
"One solution would be to get all the mothers of a community who are concerned about their child's well being and create a system around each one of their schedules. It is already done with car pools and youth groups. If the communities were able to create many activities to include all the children's interests they could help the children have fun and at the same time expand their minds. This is how child care should be handled in this country." CT
"Many moms have taken their work home to cut on costs of day care centers. Valerie Waldner would rather telecommute from her study in Lakewood, Colorado to her office five miles away. Therefore, she can do her housework, keep an eye on the kids, and have dinner ready by five. Her terminal is connected to the company mainframe, so virtually, she can work whenever she wants. She still has deadlines to meet and people to see at meetings, but these occasions can be met with a two hour babysitter if necessary." MT
"Credit in a baby-sitting co-op time bank is worth many hours of freedom to the stay-at-home mothers who needs an up with the rest of the world. Baby-sitting co-ops usually spring from a neighborhood group or a church circle. Many women who do not have relatives to call on find co-ops to be economical relief during the daytime from full-time mothering." KY
"I believe that we can take the future in our hands if we pay one parent to stay home and care for the children. . ."MD
"Many women who place their children in day care centers would prefer to care for their children at home but are forced to use child care because they must work for financial reasons. However, if the government were to offer subsidies to women who choose to care for their preschool children at home, the number of stay-at-home mothers would greatly increase. Offering these subsidies would help relieve unemployment while allowing mothers to raise their children in the early years Subsidies would definitely encourage more mothers to stay at home which would decrease the number of children needing child care, therefore reducing the need for child care facilities." TN
"There will always be the poor single mother who has to work to keep her head above water. She has several options---none require the government's help. First, she could look for a job that already provides on-the-spot child care. If that path doesn't work, she could look for someone to watch her children a few days a week while she earns a living. Perhaps a grand-parent or other relative would be willing to help. If all else fails, she could find someone else in the same situation. The two could work out a balanced system in which one could work while the other watched the children and vice-versa. None of these solutions is easy, but it comes along with the responsibility of being a good parent." PA
Realistically
speaking . . .
"Some of these women are single parents that have to work to stay alive and some of the others are women that have to work because their family needs the double income to live. Others are just women that want to be independent and want their own identity." OR
"The pro side to government day care is very minimal, but it does exist. Society is very different from what it used to be. We, as a country, cannot be so narrow-minded as to not see the needs of others. The fact is that many Americans are in need of a service like a government day care program." MI
"The presence of mothers
of young children in today's workforce is a very real and rapidly increasing
condition. Rather than opposition
to such an inevitable course of events and battling against change in the world,
there should be support and attempts to provide aid to the less fortunate."
TX
". . .Our country is free and women have equal rights. Our government needs to realize this and understand that women need support too. I feel some child care services would be better if sponsored by the government." NE
Some
argue government should have a large role to play . . .
"The government should
also give us day-care centers to give unemployed people a chance to work.
Many parents stay home in poverty because they have no place for their
children to stay. if we were to
have public day-care centers, the unemployed parent might get a chance to get a
job." AL
"To be perfectly honest, when I first set out to write this paper I didn't really give a damn about the government's role in child-care. But as I learned (and more importantly thought) about the subject the more I came to believe that there was only one real answer to this dilemma. And that is that the government should and must support some type of day care for the children of its many workers." OR
"I hope that the government begins to put its priorities in order and takes the responsibility of our nation's youth. They are our future and deserve proper care when it cannot be provided by their parents." NY
"So in order to ensure that children get proper care, the United States government should provide child care at very cheap rates or for free." FL
". . .government. . . should provide federally owned child care centers in every community." PA
"The government has an obligation to the children in its country. If the United States does not take care of the children, who will?" AL
". . .the government needs to set up a child care system with national standards and reduced cost." OH
"The government should help with child care because the government is here to service the people." OK
"It is the obligation of the federal government to step in and play a major role in providing and supporting day-care, such as by tax breaks. In addition, the federal government should be the main regulating body of day-care services to ensure they are safe and well-run." OR
"One main problem facing parents today is the limited supply of funds from the government. If for some reason a parent cannot provide the care needed for a child, the government should step in to see that the child is raised properly. . .No child deserves to suffer because his family is not a member of the upper class." VA
"The government's role in the world today is to meet the needs of these families." AL
"But the two bills before the congress suggest assistance, not interference. . .The need for government assistance in private matters has been established. When the Chrysler corporation was having trouble, the government provided a multi-million dollar bailout. The government also pays the tobacco companies millions of dollars in susidies every year. Our government also put tariffs on all the imported cars to protect Detroit manufactures. These all cost the Americans billions of dollars. If the government can spend billions of dollars to help corporations, it is only fair and decent that they give our children the same respect." NY
"I think that child care is the government's problem, not the parents'." NE
"The federal government is made to serve the people (Bill of Rights)." IL
"It is the government's responsibility to look out for the people." AL
"Modern day-care centers should be provided to anyone and everyone that needs one. . . Not only do these day-care centers need to be modern, well-equipped, and supervised correctly, they need to be close and convenient." OH
"In my opinion, the government should pay money to have professional child care facilities. It would greatly help out all working parents, because it would allow the parents to rest easy knowing that the people caring for their children are government-authorized child care professionals." VA
"I believe that in our changing society, the government has a responsibility to assist each and every family with proper child care. The government needs to establish federal and corporate sponsored facilities both in local neighborhoods and where a mother or father works." NJ
"It is my best opinion that the federal government can and should set and enforce high standards and strict regulations concerning child care, and that it offer more and better designed tax deductions as well as credits to parents who must pay the unruly cost of that care." OR
"The government is the only hope for a safe, dependable, and flexible network of child care satisfactory to all the citizens of the United States. The empty role in America's day care saga must inevitably be filled by the American government." AL
"Realizing that child care is a necessity to the families of the United States, it is evident that our government must be included in child care. . .United States families need help and the government must be forced to attend to their needs." NC
"Society has an obligation and a responsibility to provide for the physical and emotional needs of our children." CO
"The job of government is to take care of the country as a whole." IN
"The government sets up the standards and then provides more jobs by hiring people to check the child care services and make sure that they follow the rules." OR
"The government has the power to pass laws and tax; these powers must be used to ease the burden of this problem. . . The government may step in at any number of places: paying parents directly to help with the cost of child care; giving special tax breaks or benefits to companies which offer day-care facilities to employees; paying for the training required for good child care workers; paying child care workers in addition to the payment received of parents; passing job security laws for parents and guaranteed parental leave; or increasing child care standards and enforcing these standards." TN
"Government has the responsibility to provide for the nation as a whole. . .power of regulation should not be viewed as a burden on society, but as an advantage to those living under it." AL
"The government's objective and obligation is to provide for the needs of America's needy." TX
"Not only should the government help by making stricter standards for workers, but also by providing benefits in the forms of loans, tax breaks, and vouchers for businesses. This will serve as a great encouragement for both working parents and the businesses that employ them." OR
"What is the government's proper role of children? Essentially, the government is each child's protector. The law protects them from abuse and neglect, wo why can't it guarantee children a good environment in which to live, learn and grow while their parents are at work?" OH
"When parents are unable to care for their children financially, or simply do not have enough time; the government must be willing to step in and help those in need." IL
"The government's role would be that of a parent. Providing for its citizens is the government's first priority, which, in recent times, it seems to be neglecting. The government must maintain its people or democracy is lost and no government will exist." OK
"In many poor countries children starve and perish on the streets and, worse, in their own homes. The reason for this is that the government holds no responsibilities for the child care that is necessary. One is left only to wonder what would happen if the United States took these same beliefs as well. Many people rely strictly on the government for financial help." AL
"Some critics may argue the United States is moving towards socialism, but we must remember the future of America is at stake not political theories." NY
"The government is thought to its people as the father of society. it is there to make sure peace is kept and all of us are happy. Another role is to take care of its young. Meaning it should be able to provide more child care for its children. . ."FL
"The government's responsibility to provide an equal educational opportunity for all children should begin at birth rather than the traditional school age." OR
"The government is responsible for the children of today." VA
"If parents are unable to provide for the basic needs of their children, the government should provide a sister solution to social security, just for the children." NJ
"People should have the right to place their child in the child care program they feel is best. That right should not be taken away based on that family's income." AL
"Government is already too involved in the citizens' daily lives and should not become further involved through child care." OH
"It should be up to the government to make sure that the daycare centers are providing the best possible care available to these children whose mothers are in the work force. This is a proper job for the government to take on because the children are an important part of our future as a nation. Our children need to be better taken care of and educated to enable our country to remain a leading nation in the world today." OR
"The bottom line is that it is our government's responsibility to step in and help society." IL
"Americans are individualistic people, and they have been since colonial times, but they still want the government's help in some matters. Child care is one of these matters." FL
"(Government's role is )to watch out and take care of its people and what they believed in." OK
"After all, it is the government's job to take care of its people, right?" AL
"It is the government's responsibility to ensure our nation's children are not neglected but instead protected." VA
"Financial backing is important to aid the people of the United States through their personal trials and tribulations . . .The government is supposed to be for the people, by the people, but what I can't understand is its failure to meet our needs as citizens of the United States and as voices of the majority. " NJ
"The United States not only should, but is obligated to , play a major role regarding child care in order to provide for a strong and secure future." OH
"It is up to the government to make sure that the children, our future, are taken care of." OR
"I believe that child care facilities should be set up, staffed, licensed and supervised by the federal government." OH
"With universal care, not only will all children be guaranteed to be taken care of, but parents will not have to worry as much because the government can take care of screening qualified child care centers and also have periodic visits to check the personnel of the center." NY
"Secondly, the government is formed to aid the people, and this would be a rewarding and dignified way for the government to serve its citizens. When the American people are in need, the government should try its best to heed their calls." AR
"If government's role is to provide for the people, then it should also help provide for the people's children." OR
"In order to compete with other industrial nations, our government must provide quality child care at an affordable rate for everyone." NE
"Government's essential duty is to hold the union together---to produce solutions for a nation." OK
"The government should be responsible for the nation's future. If this future relies on the children of today, it is realistic for the government to become involved in caring for the children. The government receives millions of dollars in revenue each year. If just ten dollars out of every tax payment were set aside to provide for child care, our problems would be solved. In this manner working parents would be refunded for their losses and the entire nation would be investing in its future." KS
There are many families who truly depend on the government to help them in their financial matters. They want to be able to look up to their government and be able to ask for help and get it. After all, the government is our 'Father'." FL
"One of the vital functions of the government is to be responsible to all the citizens." OR
"I feel that the government should play a large role in providing and regulating child care. I do not know what is best for children in society and the government may not have all the answers, but it should be the government's duty and responsibility to find out. It is the government's job to see that children are taken care of. . .I feel it is the government's responsibility to see that proper day-care centers are provided and that they consider low-income families when doing so. . .What is best for the children? The government may not know what is best, but it is its responsibility to try to understand the needs children have and the care that they deserve. . .I feel that the government's role regarding child care is the most important thing that the government has to do. . .I feel very strongly that the government should make sure that the children in the United States have the necessary care they need for a safe and happy life. After all, these children are our future." AL
"It is the role of our government to provide necessary care for our children!" AR
"It is only right that the government help the people. After all, this is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people." OK
And
that our constitution will back them up. . .
. . .the government which is based on and formed by the Constitution has an obligation to the people whom it governs, as defined by the preamble, to do all within its power to assail any problem disturbing the 'general welfare' or upsetting 'domestic tranquility' of society. Today, this problem happens to be the issue of child care." PA
"The preamble of the Constitution of the United States of America states that the Constitution was established to promote the general welfare of the people and their posterity. Child care helps promote the general welfare of our people and their children and, therefore, should be included as one of the duties of the U.S. government." OH
"The U.S. does, in fact, have a mixed economy in which the socialist idea of government providing for the people is present in the American welfare program. This principle coincides with the Constitution's stated intent in the Preamble 'to provide for the general welfare.' . . .The present capitalistic approach to childcare is ludicrous. It is a much needed service in modern society and cannot be reserved only for those who can 'comfortably' afford childcare as if it were superfluous. The government's role in childcare entails the restriction of rates nationwide so that it is affordable to those that are in demand of this service, the passage of legislation for those extensive employing companies to provide in-building childcare services, across the board establishment of after school 'recreation' programs, and a possible revamping of the welfare system which could make use of the high schools. In making such provisions, the government would therby 'promote general welfare' in the sense that the level of security among children in our unstable society is achieved so that they and their parents can attain the 'self-actualization' of the American dream." VA
"According to Article I, Section 8 Clause 18, Congress has the power 'to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers. . . .' This clause is referred to as the 'elastic clause', for it enables the government to make laws which are for the common good of the people, though they are not specifically mentioned in the Constitution. . . .Congress has begun to realize that having two working parents, or a single working parent, is a 'fact of life' for most children. Therefore, according to the Preamble and the Elastic Clause, the government is partially responsible, and also empowered, to pass laws which would benefit the children and their working parents." NY
"Clearly, the government of this country has a responsibility to take care of its children. One of the reasons stated by the Constitution for the existence of the government it created was, 'to promote the general welfare.'" IL
"Child care is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, therefore, it is not considered a national responsibility." FL
"Government is in no way obligated by the Constitution to provide a system of public childcare for any reason, but it is obligated to serve the needs of the citizens of this country and its democracy. It is this system of citizens needs and the governments ability to meet these needs that creates the necessity of a government operated childcare system." TN
"Our early leaders established that our democratic form of government and our constitution should uphold and promote the general welfare to all future generations of Americans. Yet, today opposing groups argue over whether the government should take any action in one of this countries most pressing problems--child care. Does our government not have a moral obligation to promote the general welfare of our children?" TX
"Our government has the responsibility to preserve and protect its citizens. The preamble to our constitution explains that duty completely, '...to promote the general welfare,' and if this is a society where children do not matter, we might as well let all of these great documents crumble to dust, for without children, we have no future. . .the government has a clear and defined obligation to support its citizens." TX
"The United States government role concerning child care is not defined in the Constitution at all. When the Constitution was ratified (approved) i 1788, women did not play an active role in society outside the home; therefore, there was no need for federally funded child care systems as there is today." AL
"As stated in the Preamble to the Constitution, one of the purposes of our government is to "promote the general welfare" of the people. . .What better way for our government to show that it does what is best for the people than for it to provide a free child care program for working mothers?" AL
"The role of the government is to help satisfy people's needs and concerns. This is stated in the Constitution." AL
"How important are our children? In the Constitution it says that the United States is a country by the people, of the people and for the people. Doesn't that include our children?" AL
"According to the laws which govern our country, the government has the responsibility to promote the general welfare of the people. If doing so means providing a child care program for the nation, then the U.S. government must do so." PA
But
those against a large government role also cite the Constitution . . .
"The Constitution did not put limits on the freedom of the people; it put limits on the government's freedom and rights. The government outlined in the Constitution of this United States was never intended to support the people of this nation, but rather to represent them and be supported by them. This is a democratic republic, not a socialistic state, and we should not let Congress forget that. When we begin dividing the wealth of the nation in the ways which have been proposed, we remove the incentive to succeed. If one can live just as well, or even comparably well by not working, and not giving one's children the close personal attention they deserve, why should one strive so hard not to be much better off? Without incentive, progress will be hindered, and this country will become stagnant." OK
"In the end, it is best for the children to be either in private homes, with relatives, or with day care professionals chosen by the parents. This is imperative if America is to continue on the principles outlined in the Constitution. . .Americans pride themselves on their individualism. If we are to keep this, our children must be free to learn the religious and ethnic customs their parents value. For this reason, federal child care is an undesirable solution to this complex problem." OH
"The government need not run to someone's rescue every time he is in trouble. We should allow each person the chance either to succeed or fail. The Constitution is based upon this idea of individual success or failure." OK
"As for the federal government's role in child care, they should have absolutely nothing to do with it because they are controlled by the Constitution and child care is not one of its responsibilities." NE
"Child care is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, therefore, it is not considered a national responsibility." FL
"The U.S. was built on the fact of free enterprise and the fact we can make our own decisions. Making our own decisions means taking the responsibility for them." OK
We
are warned about being penny-wise and pound-foolish. . .
"Any economist will tell you that the biggest investment a person can make is in our children. A nation has a choice rather to spend money on better schools or larger jails. That money can feed babies or pay forever for the consequences of starving a child's brain while it is trying to grow. One dollar spent on prenatal care for pregnant women can save more than three dollars on medical care during the child's first year, and ten dollars down the line. A year of preschool costs an average $3,000 per child; a year in prison costs about $16,500." NE
"If parents, business, government, and the community are unwilling to invest time, energy, and resources into the children of today, the consequences of tomorrow will be disastrous." PA
"Eventually, for every dollar government spends for adequate child care, it will get seven times that amount back because the need for government welfare will be much lower." AL
"We, as Americans, need to face the fact that money will be spent either way. if aid is cut back, welfare will increase, and if aid is increased, then money will be needed to support such programs." TX
"Although a policy of providing aid to families may seem to be a very costly expenditure, when examined closely, the government may actually be saving money." PA
"They (taxpayers) will, one way or another, pay for this child. This may not be a direct payment, but tax dollars will be spent to keep this child in jail or to execute him for fatally shooting a cop in a convenience store over a loaf of bread." OK
"Economists have estimated that for every $1 spent on pre-school education saves $4.75 in later aid to children, every $1 investment in prenatal care saves $3.38 in the cost it takes to care for sick babies, and every $1 spent on childhood immunization saves $10 on later medical costs." OH
"Our children are our future and our most valuable resource. if we do not take care of them now and set a good example, we will have a bigger problem in twenty years." NY
"If we spend tax money now on child care, we will spend less in the future with welfare and other types of federal aid." AL
"If children aren't taken care of now, tomorrow's generations will pay the price." PA
"$6 could be saved for every $1 spent (on Head Start) into the program." CA
"Now if the government didn't help pay for child-care, then we would have more people that are not working because the parents would have to stay at home and be with their children. So either way the government would have a little something to pay on child care and welfare." NE
"A nation can spend money for better schools and day care centers or for bigger jails. Consider this, a year of preschool costs an average of $3,000 per child; a year in prison amounts to $16,500." WI
"If education is provided by the government to people who can't afford it, we could save money in the long run." CT
". . .evidence showed in comparing a child-care group to a group without care had 'less remedial educational needs, less dropouts and more college students.' This proves that poor children did so well that there was less need for welfare and help programs. Therefore, if more day-care facilities were provided, the government would save money." AL
"It is a pay now or pay forever situation. The taxpayers can pay now for child care, or they can pay for the women and children to go on welfare." TN
"In conclusion, Jesse Jackson tried to tie up this issue by saying, "We can either fund head start and child care and day care on the front side of life, or welfare and jail care on the back side of life." OH
"Paying for childhood programs now is much less expensive than paying for problems that develop later." OK
"If the government would simply pay child care for those who need it, they would end up saving money by reducing teen-age pregnancies, juvenile delinquency, and also have a higher rate of high school and even college graduation." NE
"Child care is a need that must be addressed. It would be a wiser and smaller investment now than the greater social services expense in the future, that is with welfare and unemployment." NJ
"It would be better to pay for child care now, instead of prisons later." AL
"A measles shot costs around eight dollars. To hospitalize that child who was not given the innoculation will cost $5,000. It takes $135 to finance a school-based sex education program, per pupil, per year. The cost of that child when she becomes pregnant will mean $50,000 of public assistance to her for the next twenty years. To provide a small child with a nutritious diet for a year, it takes $842. The special education needed because that child's brain was deprived of a good meal will mean $3,986 per year." TX
". . .it would be less expensive to pay the day care people, rather than giving the mother food stamps, free health care, and the many other things that comes with welfare." AZ
"I believe that if we start with the money in the beginning it may save us money in the end." WI
"A nation can spend money either for better schools or for larger jails. . .If children are not protected from their abusers, then the public will one day have to be protected from the children. If you walk through death row in any prison, roughly four out of five death row inmates were abused children." CA
"Statistics gathered in Florida by the Department of Education show that early interventions in the form of programs for preschoolers shows that for every dollar spent there is a seven dollar return." FL
"A government run day care center would inspire families everywhere to work, go back to school, and benefit this country greatly. Sure, the government would spend some money, but this project is nothing but beneficial. this would make our country wealthier in the long run." KS
"Because they do not have the financial capabilities to pay for their own day care, the parent would be left with no choice but to leave their children to their own resources after school. When children are left alone, they try to find friends, and often these friends are the wrong kind of friends. A great deal of these children become part of the nation's drug and crime problems. It seems that it would be much more beneficial when acting for the taxpayer to take a small amount of money now and invest it in the lives of the future rater than paying out billions of dollars to rehabilitate drug users and pushers and criminals." NM
"I believe that having government funded day care centers would be an excellent investment." NE
". . .but spending one dollar now would definitely save several dollars later on in expenses for remedial education, crime control, and welfare." TX
"Every $1 invested in early childhood development programs saves $6 in such cost later on." KY
"The price necessary to provide adequate child care seems a very large sum for the government and taxpayers to provide. Nevertheless, an even greater price to pay would be an almost certain increase in poverty and federal assistance funds to families in which parents would be unable to work because of a lack of child care services for their children." MS
"If our young children do not have quality child care programs, how will they learn the basic skills to get them started in life? I feel the cost of these actions is irrelevant. Our children need these programs, and it is only through governmental aid that they can be assisted. As Jesse Jackson once said in a speech concerning child care, "We can either fund Head Start and child care and day care on the front side of life, or welfare and jail care on the back side of life.'" NE
"The nation can spend money on either improving the schools or building larger jails." SD
"Every year increased funds are allotted to the space program and the defense program and cut from child development programs. However, if the government continues to neglect the children, there will be no one to fly the space shuttle or the F-117A Stealth Bomber." VA
"It seems clear that we need to spend more money on child care, but we need to spend it wisely. It should be spent on things that improve skills, job-training, mental health and human values." WI
"Sometimes one has to give a little to receive a lot. There is a right way and a wrong way to spend money. Spending money on poor, jobless families from the government is a waste. However, a government run day care would provide these families with much more opportunity and a real chance at life. . ." KS
"This is ludicrous; we are one of the richest countries in the world and we should be putting a lot more money into child care. I would understand if we didn't have the money to spend on child care, if we were a developing nation, but that certainly isn't the case at all. . . The President spends millions of dollars fighting the drug war in the United States. If he put more of that money into child care, the drug problem in the United States would go down considerably." CT
"If the government can afford to provide incomes for non-working families, it should provide decent and affordable child care facilities for working families. If you are wondering how the government can afford it, it can. I believe if it stops spending five hundred dollars for a hammer, or a thousand dollars for a toilet seat, the government can find ways to afford quality child care." AL
"I think the government's money, or shall I say our money, is wasted on some of the most unnecessary things. I never understood the point of the space program. Why do we have to know what's out there or if there is anything out there at all? Why not use the money for the homeless or starving? More than anything, we need to educate our children and it has to start with the involvement of the government." NY
"The Congressmen/women need to make a decision about whether it is more important for the United States to have the capability to blow up the entire world one more time or will we finally get some serious money into the education and child care of our future, the children. As the old adage goes, 'you get what you pay for.'" IL
"The government should see that the young need more child care. Why won't they understand that they are helping a cause that should be on top of any other problem." CT