Solution to the Child Care Crisis? It's Closer Than You Think

[@HypatiaMuse]

It's also sad that despite all that $ parents spend on daycare, the workers actually providing the care are paid peanuts. Same situation with Eldercare.

[@andycanfixit]

That elder care is only just now being realized by the boomers that underfunded it for years and are discovering first hand how bad it can be and their generation is too large for the amount of care facilities that exist.

[@patrickmiller4691]

It's different because there are no mandatory ratios for nurses in nursing homes so one nurse could be responsible for 50 people. It gets even worse if someone calls in sick.

[@kamilareeder1493]

Its also critical work, like most people won't remember who taught them to share, speak and go poo in the toilet instead of their pants, but it's us lol. It was me . 🙈☝️😭❤🤷‍♂️ like simple as they are, things like potty training, sharing, patience and reading are LIFELONG skills.

[@lyricquinn]

Right, my child went to primrose in ATL, paid 1500/ month, workers were paid $15/hr… such a pity, we left when I found that out. I 100% believe people who are underpaid will not do right by the people whether due to incompetence negligence or spiteful mess, would not trust it

[@cfltheman]

I wonder how many of those workers have children themselves.

[@leonardodavinci3589]

"Why is no one having kids?"

[@tuber6382]

Natural selection of course

[@Magdalena287]

Plenty of women watch their own children, they don’t have strangers do it.

[@chrps0at0cops]

@@Magdalena287 If only we lived in a society where that was financially viable for more than a fraction of the population...

[@07Flash11MRC]

@Magdalena287 : It's not about who watches kids. There should be no shame in having kids in pre-school / kindergarter or other care facilities, just like there is never any shame when parents raise them at home.

[@Laoriginal718]

Because it’s overrated

[@belle_bagay3849]

we’re also moving past the time of the grandparents supplementing childcare since many elderly can’t afford to retire or had to return to the workforce.

[@Jasminegonzalez0624]

Yes, the family structure used to have all of that, but it got eroded. It takes a village to raise a child. We sadly have gotten away from that

[@ninorcairam]

Also people are having children later, so you have older grandparents

[@suen5006]

We also have a mobile society, so grandparents are in other cities.

[@CrimsonEclipse]

Now a days many people don't even want to live with there parents. Plus beside housing issues most people couldn't afford properties with extra bedrooms for the in laws/grandparents.

[@Draggonny]

They pushed back the state pension age. They won't let me retire until 67. At that point my stepdaughter would be 47. My stepsisters are grandparents in their early 40s. I'd be having to look after my great grandkids by the time I retire.

[@sailorstarfairy1]

And then People wonder why the youngest generations don't want to have kids. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@qs6706]

Exactly. We already have an aging population crisis in many parts of the world. If we can't afford to live people aren't going to just have more kids. A big problem is that people may be forced to with pro life policies and religious indoctrination. Workers can't be exploited by oligarchs if there aren't any to exploit.

[@AutumnLuvsJesus]

I was paid 17.50 in California to take care of people’s children at a daycare. I had their children more of their waking lives than their parents did. Do you expect us to make less? What are people expecting here?? The people taking care of your kids have to make money to. What do you want exactly??

[@amybradbury338]

This is why I, a college educated woman, am a stay at home mom. Where I lived, I could not earn enough to keep my child in a good daycare, and I could not make peace with the sketchy daycares. Then I had a second child, and it just made financial sense to give up on any career and stay home. I don't regret it, but this is a problem that needs to be fixed.

[@Alison-zt4qq]

Same. My kids are in elementary school now, but with the costs of after school care and trying to piece together summer care, it still hasn’t made sense for me to go back to work. Having high skilled women drop out of the work force en masse makes zero sense at a national economy level, not to mention how vulnerable it makes women in their relationships.

[@sweetcherry7759]

I hope your kids will grow up to be able to pursue a career and still be able to have a family too -

[@dominicfucinari1942]

In that case, I wish the same people who tampered with the real estate market and put housing costs out of most of the nation's price range would stop complaining about women having a need to work when they demand everyone return to nuclear family values.

[@Ryan-wx1bi]

Does the fact you have a degree make you special? It doesn't carry the weight you think it does lmao

[@thepinkestpigglet7529]

​@@Ryan-wx1bi she cant use her degree that ahe probably went into debt for how does that not carry weight

[@loober122]

In corporate America childcare is not profitable enough to make money = childcare is given lowest priority.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

So much for all the talk about how much we love the children. Love them only if there's money to be made off them.

[@andrewlalis]

@@karlabritfeld7104 same logic republicans use to justify banning abortions; they're "pro-life" and "save the babies" right up until their born and stop being valuable for political pandering.

[@matthewdavis4749]

Nobody loves the children. The people in charge hate you because you’re not one of them. They want you to suffer because they think you’re an animal

[@unoriginalname4321]

There's an *easy* way to fix this! Just have businesses (factories, meat processing plants, mines, etc.) volunteer to provide care for these children, and in exchange, the children can perform tasks around the facilities, maybe ones that adults find difficult to do like sweeping chimneys! It's such an obvious solution that I'm shocked no-one has thought of it!

[@qs6706]

​@@unoriginalname4321 I hope this is sarcasm because this stops being childcare and becomes child labor.

[@yliannamarie403]

Childcare work doesn’t pay a living wage.

[@custos3249]

@@jaya-squishiehuntr019 It's depressing how right you are. Even in treatment facilities where clients will try to kill you on a daily basis, if they get a bruise while you restraining them and put them in solitary, you're done and put on an abuse list. Happened to a coworker and worse almost happened to me with a client who had a history of extreme sexualized behavior.

[@custos3249]

@@jaya-squishiehuntr019 Completely. There's still a lot about my experience I've never been able to make sense of, but I've absolutely no interest in another he said, she said when there's a clear paper trail proving what's going on. Especially when I sought eyes on the situation from the start. The kids are manageable, but the real issue is the rampant paranoia of people who care more about avoiding controversy than client outcomes. It's what I get for forgetting I worked for a religious affiliated organization that allowed supervisory staff to peddle trash like homeopathy.

[@yliannamarie403]

I did refrain from working until my children were 10 years old. Their dad was irritated about it for many years and we lived in poverty but now that they are young adults they are better adjusted than most their peers. And the hardships we endured are vague memories.

[@dominicfucinari1942]

@@yliannamarie403 Sadly, your family is a rare case in the US. From circa '973 to '022, the top 1% slowly drained out 47 Teradollars from the bottom 9 in 10 United Staters, depriving them of a mean average of $1,144 per month. Their methods included turning housing into a speculative market, cheapening wages, legalizing stock buybacks, and pricing dysregulation.

[@nicokelly6453]

Yeah. I am an assistant preschool teacher, getting paid $12/hr. I love the kids, but the more senior teachers don't get paid much more, so I won't be able to survive on it. And childcare and preschool teaching require a lot of skill and patience, several of my collegues have degrees in child development. We want good, skilled, healthy people taking care of children. Those people need a living wage and healthcare, which can't happen in the current business model.

[@bobbullethalf]

We can’t afford housing and food, how can you afford to raise a child?

[@Bobrogers99]

The costs for housing and food have skyrocketed, so in many households both parents have to work to make ends meet. In some countries, paid parental leave and government-supported preschool programs are available, but there's not much of that in the US. Something has to change.

[@monicavandeventer5429]

Children are very affordable. We have 2 and want 2-3 more.

[@bobbullethalf]

@@monicavandeventer5429, enjoy!

[@SunflowerSunset]

@@monicavandeventer5429Which state do you live in?

[@laurenludovico2301]

@@monicavandeventer5429It’s not affordable for the average person. Can you answer the following questions for me: 1) Where do you live? 2) How old are you and your spouse? 3) What are your jobs and salaries? 4) Did you inherit any generational wealth? 5) Does your family still financially support you? 5) Are you finished paying off major debts? Student loans, car payment, mortgage etc. 6) OR (piggybacking from #4) did your family assist with any of these payments? 7) Or perhaps you never entered this debt in the first place because you never went to college, haven’t bought a house yet, or you were gifted an old car from a family member? You likely had a lot of advantages that allow you to provide for multiple children without having to go into debt or worry about paying off preexisting debts

[@TogetherForeverOct09]

I HATED WORKING in the Daycare and it wasn’t the kids. I got paid literally nothing to spend so many hours with other peoples kids, potty, training, teaching ABC’s and more, weaned off of paci’s and so much more and only made $9.50 an hour with 1 week off. For my morale it sucked.

[@littlesongbird1]

Yeah. My sister became good friends with one of the staff members at my nieces day care (she was an assistant teacher vs a head teacher) she hurt her ankle and couldn't work with the kids while recovering so had to take a desk job that paid more. My sister was shocked to know this amazing worker was paid min wage to take care of kids.

[@jumboshrimps4498]

Yeah, because you're doing the job that teenagers and the elderly do in other countries. Be an adult and learn real skills.

[@GorgieClarissa]

@@jumboshrimps4498 um no. this is not a job that teenagers and elderly do in other countries. this is childcare and education. all of which require education and certifications. and what teenagers do you know can work at day care in the middle of the GD day. grow TF up

[@michah321]

​@jumboshrimps4498a lot of countries have government provided childcare

[@jumboshrimps4498]

@@michah321 1. It's mostly western countries; 2. So what? Just because everyone else is doing something stupid and destructive doesn't mean we should too.

[@melissam.6652]

12 weeks of family leave does not take infants out of the equation. They are considered infants until they move into toddler rooms, usually 14-16 months. There should be family leave to care for infants up until that point. The state I work in, PA, gives NO paid leave for having a baby. This has to change.

[@hyperbunnygirl101]

Other countries offer over a year of parental leave some its per patent with additional leave of you had multiples.

[@bonniegaither3994]

But that’s part of what makes America EXCEPTIONAL!!! Every other industrialized country has some form of paid family leave EXCEPT the United States. 🤬

[@ashd.6989]

The US is truly the ghetto

[@willythemailboy2]

@@hyperbunnygirl101 The difference is that those countries pay for parental leave as a government program rather than expecting employers to foot the bill the way the US does.

[@MelissaW09]

Just an edit... toddler rooms start at 18 months. Mobile infants are 9-17

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Basically: Life is becoming too expensive and needs fixed.

[@luciannebeans6679]

This is happening all over the world.

[@hajihajiwa]

to get exploited harder by the US

[@ChipsMcClive]

It’s because private equity has all the money in the world, and is still trying to earn compound interest on it all. Guess who’s paying the interest.

[@xletzyy]

Lol its statically and factually cooperate greed but people can keep coping if they want😂

[@TechnoGeek18023]

You say that like it's so easy to do. Its not, I've looked into that personally, unless you can find someone in another country a business that can offer you a position and sponsor your visa/ citizenship its basically impossible. Those opportunities are hard to come by and beyond competitive. Then there are additional costs, the usual moving, and the like plus in the US additional taxes for expats living abroad. @@jaya-squishiehuntr019

[@kaseywahl]

It makes my blood boil knowing the kinds of things that local, state, and the federal government will spend money on in the us and knowing that they will absolutely refuse to spend on the things that make life worth living for American citizens. This is not the country I grew up in anymore.

[@33percentgod]

America is one giant Walmart. That's all. Only thing here that is rewarded has the purpose of making money and exploiting workers to serve the Capitalism machine.

[@dominicfucinari1942]

Given how skewed the priorities are, the debts the political establishment keeps running up for their campaigns, and the industries that get all the fruits of socialism, I've taken to calling the US in this context the... Formerly United Corporations of Kochistan.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Meanwhile Mark Zuckerberg makes $7 billion an hour with government subsidies.

[@General8675]

No, the country you grew up in just didn’t have good alternatives for women. We are seeing the results of the empowerment of women. It has costs. But they are worth it.

[@kaseywahl]

@@General8675 I don' t think we're responding to the same thing.

[@ninehundreddollarluxuryyac5958]

There once was an America where one person earned enough to support a family. Wives stayed home and raised their children. Then women had to work because it took two full time incomes to pay rent and buy food. Grandparents raised the kids. Now grandparents have to re-enter the workforce or are unable to retire because costs have gone up again compared to wages. The current situation is like the great depression when monopolists controlled the government and before labor unions forced fair pay.

[@honestfriend767]

I’m glad you added the last part because the problem is monopolies. The cost of living has gone up because of monopolies.

[@toontownlegomaster]

what saddens me is like child care is so expensive and then you'll hear on the news of the abuse that children go through in those daycares it just sickening.

[@onedroprule]

Daycare is expensive and you don't see much benefit in the centers. Teachers are oftentimes people that really can't do much else; the food is suspect; sometimes there's infestation. We're paying these high costs for THIS?

[@Praisethesunson]

​@@onedropruleWelcome to capitalism

[@4whirledpeas]

They literally pay next to nothing. That means you often get people on staff who can't get a job anywhere else! It is a shoot-ourselves-in-the-foot system - where everyone loses (the workers, the parents, the children, and the future of the community).

[@juanshaftpatel7488]

st op having kids you cant afford... this is why we have abortion

[@karlabritfeld7104]

I don't hear about any abuse. Most of those places have cameras now.

[@DrJinh007]

Yup. The US childcare is crazy. I'm a Canadian living in MA and I can tell you the cost is crazy here. So my wife and my daughter were finally got their green cards and they are finally moving to MA. I'm currently looking for a preschool program for my daughter and the tuition is on average 2500$ per month... Our childcare in Ontario, Canada, was around 1600$ and it was considered very expensive. Last year, the Ontario government started to subsidize the program and at the end, we were paying around 1000$. My friends who live in Quebec pay even less. 7$ per day daycare because the Quebec government subsidize the program. The US government should take care of its citizens instead of funding War industries...

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Canada is far better with social programs than the USA. Most Canadians have no idea how bad things are in the States. Until they live here. I'm also from Canada. Been here over 40 years and it's really gone downhill. It's not the same.

[@DrJinh007]

@@karlabritfeld7104 Definitely. Although Canada has many problems compared to the US, I think Canada is better off.

[@marenjones6665]

The issue is that people aren't paid enough to take care of their own. Period. End of story. Parents have to work insane hours to never see their kids. There is zero tolerance for homemaking. Not allowance, *tolerance*. You take a few hours for an annual check up? That's a whole day coming out of your sick leave, and you have to arrange your own coverage. You want to be at home at a set time? Your boss cuts your opportunities to earn. You need to take a week for a major repair of your home? Lol, no, you're fired, and we tell any future employers that you're unwilling to do assigned tasks, that you're unreliable. Oh, and if you're a woman who does any of these things? Expect at least double punishment, and kiss any advancement goodbye. This is true in every major industry. Rail and air basically penalize any time you're not at the wheel, resulting in failing health and an increase of near misses. Factory and farm work force you to pay for your own equipment, one way or the other, resulting in accidents. Healthcare workers are guilted into impossible shifts in understaffed facilities, but can't afford to live near their work. This isn't a childcare crisis. It's a crisis of homelessness. Even if you can afford a place to live, you can't afford to actually spend any time there. You have no time or energy to maintain your house or family. Moreover, the community help you would have relied on for those tasks, grandparents, neighbors, pastors, they're a ll in the same boat. No one respects the home, and people are dying because of it.

[@Dragrath1]

It is a more fundamental problem related to capitalism especially the neoliberal ideology which the rich and powerful running both political parties continue to peddle as a means to try and compensate for the unsustainable nature of the ever maximized profit motive in a finite world. In essence since the end of WW2 there has been a pushback by the rich against FDR's reforms any and all of what economists have referred to as positive externalities have been neglected by the insane and fundamentally unsustainable "neoliberal" ideology which is based around entirely parasitic forms of wealth accumulation at the expense of the government and the people specifically what us known as rent seeking and as has been noted by academics across the political spectrum including Adam Smith who is generally accredited as the founder of capitalist theory, is economical activities which provide no product or goods of value to the economy only the transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich at the expense of the economy and nation. (This is currently obscured in economics statistics due to "tweaks" in what is classified as Gross Domestic Product since the Regan era where rent seeking activities have now been treated as if they produce goods of economic value even when they do not as all the so called "production" is really a direct wealth transfer stolen from the American public either directly by extorting money for previously publicly supported goods and services and land ownership or by parasitizing the state. Women have and continue to be the hardest hit because domestic labor has been long ignored and written off as a positive externality taken for granted since its hard to put financial numbers on and thus very little of "women's work" has never received its due recognition, now add the even larger abuse/neglect of positive externalities and it only gets worse as we go further backwards. Housing is a perfect example of something not only neglected but even worse abused as the rich and powerful use real estate as an investment portfolio and thus buy up multitudes of homes which go unused.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

It's an economic problem. Capitalism is a massive failure. The poor and middle class suffer and the rich are oblivious or just don't care.

[@marenjones6665]

@karlabritfeld7104 My point, though poorly stated, was that it was NOT just an economic problem, but a moral one. The US capitalist economy is a garbage fire, to be sure, but it's not the only garbage fire. Let me try again, speaking more broadly. "Conservative" political and social movements have been trying to eliminate so-called "women's work" from the economy forever, refusing to even talk about the home in any terms except financial. Conversation about childcare, education, or even manufacturing home goods is so violently suppressed, despite the fact that these industries are fundamental to our ecconomy and society. On the other end of the spectrum, feminist movements focus almost entirely on forcing a place for women in traditionally "male spaces," abandoning housekeeping entirely. They refuse to support "women's work" because they see it as socially and politically worthless, despite the fact that the home is the bedrock of social and political good. If you put these mindsets together, the financial institution becomes largely moot. In the communist context, the home is crushed by duty to society, the personal eliminated for the "greater good." In a socialist context, home industry starves as larger, more "worthwhile" projects are supported. And in our capitalist context, work in the home and family is an expense that gives nothing to shareholders, and must be cut at every opportunity. It's a moral failure, not an economic one.

[@purplebluecrow5082]

The reason why feminists originally pushed for women working is because they literally couldn’t earn a livable income unless they married a man, it has nothing to do with moral failure. South Korea is a super traditional place that respects the house and more people there are dying than being born

[@eleonorabartoli2225]

@@marenjones6665It is both, because there is nothing moral about corporations and CEOs making billions and not paying proportional wages. Corporations need to be taxed, at least like they used to be.

[@AvelierPlays]

Less weapons, less war, less bases in foreign soil. More healthcare, more education, more social institutions. The US has its priorities backwards and the citizens allow it.

[@michaelmaiara4770]

The citizens have been brainwashed into thinking this is the way it should be, because socialism is bad.

[@AlexP-dz7ew]

Half of the citizens allow it, and we all suffer

[@degreeskelvin3025]

Not half, all. Its not a problem with one party or the other. Its both

[@custos3249]

@@degreeskelvin3025 Exactly. But remember, going 3rd party is throwing your vote away, something something, blue no matter who, profit!

[@felixbors7546]

weapons have nothing to do with it. Shipping all the middle class jobs overseas in the 90s is the culprit

[@BlueMagic334]

My childhood best friend is a head start teacher at a daycare. 12 dollars an hour at 40 hours a week is not enough. I hope one day she puts herself first and get out of that line of work.

[@sjtalksandlife]

Some people actually have a passion for that work..believe it or not. The only thing Iiked about it was the hours. Home in the evenings off on the weekends and most holidays.

[@AmberSoleil1]

I drive 30 minutes to a daycare I can afford. The others are so expensive they may as well not exist. We pay $325 a week or $16,900 a year. It’s suffocatingly expensive

[@Zelfal]

That annual cost is almost half of my family income with me staying home taking care of a 1 kid and hoping for a 2nd, it makes me sad i cant work for money but being a mother is the hardest and most rewarding job in the world.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

You might as well hire someone to live in your house and take care of your kids!

[@YeshuaKingMessiah]

@@karlabritfeld7104$325 a week?? That’s only a migrant who would accept that pay 60-70 hrs a week easily plus meals would be reqd and laundry prob, if not housework

[@GorgieClarissa]

@@YeshuaKingMessiah not true. not sure where you are getting 60-70 hours. a lot of people nanny and while the pay is less, the room and board is included. and they work NORMAL hours... 40 hours a week. not 60-70. you can look it up.

[@ChampagneandWaffles]

@@GorgieClarissaa nanny can’t work 40 hours/week if the parents are also working 40 hours/week because you need to include at least some time for commute to/from work.

[@TeaWithTay]

Before when they had pensions and grandparents could retire at a respectable age they’d help take care of the grandchildren. Now that most elder have to basically work until they die. Most people don’t have a village anymore due to capitalism. We work longer and harder making the family structure nearly impossible to maintain

[@codbdup88]

And when the child tax credit needed to renewed during Covid every single Republican in Congress voted against it. The child tax credit is the biggest incentive to have children.

[@caroletrapp3226]

Exactly gqp hates children

[@john2g1]

Edit: I had to add in legislators / the members of Congress, and not individual voters. It's almost like there is a disconnect from reality... If US capitalism is going to continue to be our socioeconomic template we need at minimum 3 things: 1. Well fed and healthy children consistently being born in stress free homes 2. A good education system (for free) 3. A steady supply of immigrants, cause not everyone will "win capitalism"... Literally by design I hate generalized statements, but Republican members of Congress generally vote against all of those things except for the babies being born part. Once the baby pops out it's "Screw you, use your boot straps". Someone help me to understand please; why are they are like this? Sure the ultra-wealthy legislators would be happy to go back to a peonage or peasant system. But is everyone else an idiot, or do they truly believe themselves temporarily embarrassed billionaires?

[@RevShifty]

​​@@jaya-squishiehuntr019No one but other Republicans love having them anywhere. Speak like an adult and speak with objective fact, or keep your fool opinions to your damned self.

[@hs5312]

@@john2g1 there is very little truth to generalize statement, a lot of republican voters vote based on social issues, when you believe abortion is murder you can’t exactly vote someone who you may agree with on economics if they are on another issue supporting what you see as murder. In fact according to one survey socially right and economically left was actually the most common position for voters, but many of those republican because for certain issues there can be no compromise. And generally speaking the economic issues where republicans do have a lot of support would something like immigration or free trade it isn’t the case republican see that they will be millionaires but so they are trying to protect their jobs. A lot of this wouldn’t if the political discourse was not locked between just 2 options

[@Madronaxyz]

​@@john2g1look up Paul Piff's research on playing the game of Monopoly. There are KZbin videos. Basically the richer people get the less empathy they feel for others. .

[@bosedohne5209]

In Germany infant childcare and later Kindergarten are heavily subsidised by the Government. In some German states it's even completely free. I live in a German state where it costs between 600 and 800€ a month per child. And the ratio nurse per children is 1:3. And even in Germany there are constant debates that it's too expensive for individuals and that the nurses don't earn enough to make a decent living

[@praecorloth]

4:38 Quote: "A city administrator gets involved with childcare when it's a problem that cannot be solved by the private sector." Translation: "This is yet another problem that capitalism is ill equipped to deal with."

[@Bonafide188]

The role of government under capitalism is to correct market failures. Yes it’s a problem of capitalism but this is the system you agreed to maintain

[@praecorloth]

@@Bonafide188 I didn't agree to maintain it. I was born into it. And thanks to capitalism needing systemic poverty in order to function, and I wasn't born into wealth, I haven't been able to escape yet.

[@iguess2739]

@@praecorloth I'm so glad inflation doesn't exist and any ills are not because of government.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Yes it's clearly not working. One person in a household with children cannot work and pay childcare at the same time unless the job pays over$200k per year.

[@kyleclutter1]

@praecorloth it's not a failure of capitalism. Government regulation strangles those businesses. My childcare was a lady my mom knew that lived close to my school. She made some cash and I was watched after.

[@quintoncrockett966]

When it costs 25k per child and if you have 2 children it's probably better for on parent to stay home as an option

[@tisvana18]

More companies and schools need to offer daycares. My husband doesn’t work in an office so it wouldn’t really make a difference for us (I’m a SAHM now), but it kinda seems like companies are the only things that can actually afford to operate daycare. Too bad that would cut into the CEO’s third yacht. I live in a small town and the daycares here are falling apart and ramshackle, they cost $800/mo. You can’t pay per day or per week. Even after subsidies, we were paying $400/mo. Jobs don’t even pay that well here and the daycares close at 5, so it wouldn’t even work for my husband and mine’s industry where sometimes you’ll be working until the late evening.

[@GorgieClarissa]

nooooo not the third yacht!!!

[@ChampagneandWaffles]

While I agree with most of your complaints, I wanted to chime in to say that it’s very difficult for daycares to offer daily or weekly care. Because of the ratios mentioned in this video, they have to know exactly how many workers they need at all times for the number of children they will have. Having a child that comes 2 or 3 days per week, or may come 2 weeks out of the month, makes it difficult to hire staff to keep the correct ratios.

[@mrskeppers1]

My work has a daycare, but it is still just as expensive as other medium high daycares with an enormous waitlist.

[@suprensa4393]

It's not a coincidence that US News and World Report ranked Minnesota the 5th best US state to live in in terms of quality of life on paper. And I clearly remember that the state went for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic Primary by no small margin. Minnesotans, this Oregonian would like to say to you, keep on trail blazing!!!

[@Wavy_Gravy]

Bernie Sanders never had a job. Only losers follow a guy who's going to make life harder before it helps. Meanwhile, Bernie's never actually worked. Imagine a bum oldman, that's Bernie.

[@elmobolan4274]

I wked as a Administrative Assistant at a high end daycare, I could give u a laundry list of hidden issues parents had NO idea what was really going on, I would never, ever put my child in daycare, EVER!!

[@Mommachristine]

Can you share a few of these issues?

[@elmobolan4274]

@christinele8941 In the 1 yr I wked there: CPS was called 5 times Roach problem Some teachers we also napping when children were sleeping Carpet and toys were rarely cleaned The place smelled bad Too many children to 1 teacher Kids would cry and be ignored Babies would be left to cry in their cribs until they fell asleep (when I went to sooth a crying baby I was scolded by the DC wker to leave the baby alone because by doing that I was making their job harder) All the church/facility cared about was $$$$

[@sjtalksandlife]

Same here..I was shocked at some of the things I seen when I worked in daycare..😬

[@Mommachristine]

Scary to hear all this, thanks for sharing all 😮

[@mari-kt1kb]

I'm a grandma and I am my child's free day care for two kids. They're in. School now so I only see them once or twice a month. I could do it because I'm retired and I loved to be of help.

[@MrVirus9898]

It is wonderful that you got to spend time with your grandchildren. Some grandparents never get to meet their grandchildren, for one reason or another. Or the grandparents may still be working their own jobs.

[@mari-kt1kb]

@@MrVirus9898 I agree 💯. It was fortunate that I wasn't working and was able physically to be there for my daughter and her family. It has been a great joy for me. Childcare prices are ridiculous.

[@amandaburns8247]

Your reply has me thinking about how there could be a program for retirement-aged volunteers for childcare. I’m time zones away from my parents, they need a bit of extra money because fixed incomes can’t keep up with the price of everything, and it’s been shown the cognitive benefits of being around children.

[@mari-kt1kb]

@@amandaburns8247 my mom participated in a foster grandparents program at the head start daycare in a local college. And received a stipend to boot she loved it. Perhaps it could be expanded into private day-care?? If it even exists anymore.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

I'm not changing diapers for free. Hell no.

[@mn0g0nm]

when "don't put infants directly from the womb into chidcare" came up as the obvious first answer i choked on my coffee i've been hollering that for two and a half decades, good luck moving the needle lol

[@elenarewd9299]

My husband and I decided for me to stay home. It meant living in a one bedroom with an infant. I worked early mornings for years so that we can supplement my husbands income until he made enough for us to comfortably live on. When I did work full time for a few months, I paid $350 a week for an infant. That was more than half my monthly paycheck. Working part time and getting rid of childcare made the most sense. I probably won’t be able to go back to work anytime soon since school hours are not full time either. I also didn’t see the benefit of the daycare. My child was constantly sick and didn’t get one on one attention.

[@NA_49erFan]

Minimum wage employees have no reason to CARE about your kids. Daycare should be subsidized, not OIL!

[@joeyglass6323]

subsidizing is just punishing the childfree though. how is this their problem?

[@maxsteel32]

​@@joeyglass6323you don't want the society you live in to continue? Children are everyone's future including those without children. Not supporting the next generation is punishing everyone.

[@joeyglass6323]

@maxsteel32 I feel like children are a choice some people make, and we should all take responsibility for our own decisions.

[@azurblau4144]

@@joeyglass6323 i think paying for the maintenance of roads punishes the ones without a car, carowners should all take responsibility for their own desires and travelchoices ... (and it is btw way harder to get a car on accident then a child)

[@zabmcauley5647]

​@@joeyglass6323No children means a break down of society. No rejuvenating supply of workers for grocery stores, restaurants, medical staff, doctors, old age care homes and much more

[@jonathanwinskie9788]

This a big part of why, in our early 30s, my wife and I haven’t had kids. If and when we do, it’ll likely only be 1. Childcare is just too damn expensive.

[@Praisethesunson]

Capitalist population control in action

[@CosmicPrimate]

Fancy seeing you here in the comment section, señor Winskie. I agree. These childcare expenses are too damn high!!! 👏🏾

[@juliannehannes11]

There's this thing where in some centers children of childcare workers attend for free. So if you really really want kids, one of you work at a daycare for a few years(if you have a BA you can even become a lead teacher or site director). That's what my mom did.

[@TheSkyyIsAwesome]

My wife and I dont want to have a child if our quality of life will all dimish. As of now. Just us 2 are trying to stay afloat. Id hate to bring a child. Struggle financially, let alone pay someone else to take care of my kid lol.

[@user-xs1is9yd5o]

I've resolved to abandon romantic and reproductive interests entirely in favor of being a druggie. Atleast that is completely on my terms, costs me the same if not less and brings me more satisfaction than any female or child could. I only got one life and I'm not wasting it on those burdens. In the past maybe i would've, but they have really lost their reward for the work and finances you have to invest.

[@mathieufaltys]

It seems to me that it would be best to treat child care like public schooling. Make it available to all for free, paid through taxes. It seems so convoluted to be dealing with a range of providers and subsidies. Just make it a public service.

[@joeyglass6323]

public services are there for things everyone uses. tax parenting. stop having kids you cant afford. be part of the problem or part of the solution, you cant do both.

[@mathieufaltys]

@@joeyglass6323 There is almost no public service that is used by 100% of the public. However, the entire society would benefit from universal public childcare the same way universal public schooling was the primary driver to make the US the world's biggest superpower. It takes a village to raise a child.

[@joeyglass6323]

Is it really that hard for people to take responsibility for their own decisions? I don't have kids YET because i can't afford them YET, but I'll never get there if I'm bailing you out of your financial misjudgements

[@mathieufaltys]

@@joeyglass6323

[@rajashashankgutta4334]

​@@joeyglass6323it takes a village to raise a child.

[@firstname9371]

I need to escape this country.

[@Praisethesunson]

American refugee. Cause fighting to improve is too much work. Americans don't want to work anymore

[@nena_nezali]

⁠@@PraisethesunsonRight? They should just go to the Country Fixing plant and put in their resume, like you and I did

[@karlabritfeld7104]

​@@Praisethesunsonthat's not true. Millions are working.

[@darianbarber3763]

​@@Praisethesunson Americans don't want to work anymore was the headlines of the 1930's. The decade of the great depression caused by bank failings. It's that the system is far gone. Being in this country feel like my generation has to fix everything neglected or underthought by prior generations, or be told the prior generations like how it is because it doesn't effect them anymore. We want to work but you see the system is pulling apart at the seams and it can feel like no amount of fighting will ever fix this much less make it livable. We have piss poor urban planning, forced car ownership due to said bad urban planning, Economic ramifications from covid, rapidly advancing A.I taking away entry level jobs, wage stagnation, environmental, pending retirement system collapse, pending recession, unaffordable housing, and to top it all off this coming election from the burners of the last election and one before will be a mess worse then the prior ones. If you're bombarded with this many wide reaching systematic failures and breaking points, wouldn't you say the American dream died? there is no dream it's already a nightmare to bear and survive.

[@valeriaswanne]

Escape is truly an apt term. It's TOUGH to get out.

[@kamilareeder1493]

In the states, we also have no materinity leave. If you have to have infant childcare ( >6months ) the number of staff required skyrockets 😮😮😮 1 person can watch up to 3 infants at once and of course, I cannot leave them for a second. 😢 For perspective, I can do like 10 to 1 with gen ed. Students once they're 5+ years old. Like subsidizing those baby and pre K years, where kids need the most time and round the clock care, would take a huge load off

[@IronCrown]

$55k is below the average US salary, but the median income is $46k as of 2022. This town's residents are doing better than a typical American.

[@GopheReid]

Family income is 55k, not individual. 1:30

[@sjtalksandlife]

When I was working I never made over 24k in my whole entire work career.

[@jcehlert]

If we are serious about children, we would already have fully funded education birth to 18 years.

[@Pete.across.the.street]

The US does

[@CarlGerhardt1]

Day-care for 2, 3 or 4 year-olds is not 'education'.

[@shennnai]

@@Pete.across.the.street😂😂

[@jcehlert]

Oh really? Have you worked in a daycare with students this age? Learn numbers and ABC, writing, drawing, building, cooking, and ordering are all skills used in high school. I've been teaching for decades, and child education starts at birth.@@CarlGerhardt1

[@khayon4364]

@@CarlGerhardt1 My wife worked in childcare for years, on the level of children at 3 and 4 it is inarguably a form of education.

[@lehablkwd]

I was an early childhood educator for over 20 years, with a college degree and a variety if state certifications. I love teaching young children and was very good at it. My pay didn't go up more than $2/hr over 20+ years. I quit and am entering a new field, only because i can't afford to keep teaching. The last school i taught at closed last year.

[@magnolia31611]

I’m a stay at home mom, and I have had people tell me, “that’s nice that you and your husband can afford for you to stay home” and this comment has always baffled me because I know how much childcare costs and I truly do not know how most families are affording childcare even with a two income household. I wanted to stay home, but if I was working, almost my whole salary would go to childcare because I have 4 children.

[@ashleyslack5960]

I hear you. It also totally negates that there is enormous work, sacrifice, budgeting, etc that goes into a family maintaining having only one working spouse, ideally the husband. I can afford to do this because I made it a priority and work hard to make it a reality, along with my husband.

[@fantasticalhistory4285]

Modern families don't live in generational households anymore. Before, grandparents or town aunties used to watch the kids for free. Now every family have to pay for that service while their elderly parents are chilling in senior living facilities.

[@sakuragrl08]

This is what the video is missing….culture.

[@letopizdetz]

Or, you know, some of your tax dollars could go to daycare instead of corporate bailouts and stock buy backs. How come the US is the only developed country where this problem is created?

[@jesse11111]

Not every old person is rich and not every grandparent is even close to retirement age let alone will be able to retire at retirement age.

[@gigaus0]

It's almost like this shouldn't be a private business. It's almost like some 'sectors' shouldn't be handled by private equity and what is profitable for the market. It's almost, *almost* like the government should be involved to guarantee a bare minimum and a standard of living.

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

Americans forget their own Declaration of Independence. A guaranteed RIGHT to LIFE and the Pursuit of Happiness - a GUARANTEE. It was always bullshit, but it would be nice to make it happen.

[@wownewstome6123]

Are you promoting communism or socialism?

[@epicemmalee2000]

Take a look at basically any government run service and you'll see a lot of huge problems with waste, corruption, and inefficiency. There are so many public schools in absolutely unthinkably poor shape with terrible facilities, not enough staff, and extremely poor student performance. It's not just a matter of funding but about funding models and administration. Services like the USPS and the IRS are also notorious for being wasteful, slow, and inefficient. We need change, but the answer isn't always more money and more government.

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

@@epicemmalee2000 You have offered no solutions. And furthermore, you misunderstand the sources of the things you complain about. Waste and corruption are implicit to a capitalist structure where private corporations are incentivized to undermine and infiltrate government. They staff it with their own goons, who run it into the ground and make it awful - the USPS has literally been headed by ex-Amazon and UPS execs. Same with the IRS - they're intentionally hobbled because corporations WANT them to be hobbled. Every complaint you made from schools is entirely an issue with both school funding but also poverty in general. Public schools become in bad shape because they aren't funded properly, and students in poverty have no realistic hope of succeeding. The solutions remain - make rich people less rich, and fund government apparatuses with their money. Ideally, both at the same time. And if the rich resist - they should not feel safe.

[@herkload]

Nah, you have kids it’s your responsibility to provide for them

[@italoddd]

The solution is simple. Downgrade the house and consumption, and the wife stays in the home = you don't spend money on daycare, and your kids won't have any mental illness

[@crypto_que]

Don’t have kids. Problem solved. It’s wild how people have EXPENSIVE ASS KIDS then complain about how much kids cost!

[@LexiLadonna]

There needs to be longer parental leave combined with wages high enough so that every home doesn’t have to be dual income.

[@letopizdetz]

over here in civilized countries we get 1-2 years of paid leave and plenty of state funded daycares. You know your tax dollars could go to stuff you actually need instead of subsidizing billion dollar corporations that are already profitable. Just google how much of your tax dollars go to oil companies each year. I guess those poor billionaires need your hand outs more than the kids.

[@LexiLadonna]

@@letopizdetz oh we are aware and most of us hate it

[@MyReviews_karkan]

That's why I kept my kids home and had my wife quit her job. It was 1.5 of her monthly income for two kids. It was rough. If this country doesn't get it together, collapse is inevitable

[@karlabritfeld7104]

It's already happening.

[@laurais4047]

And now if you fuck around your wife is stuck with you because of her huge employment gap. You get to enjoy freedom while she's in prison.

[@redbirdriot]

I've been a stay at home dad ever since we moved with our 9-month old, and that was right before COVID hit. Since then we had another child, and I've still been a stay-at-home dad. It sucks sometimes to think "oh, if only I was working, think how much money we'd bring in." It's sadly nice to have a reminder of just how much money I'm saving us, and also how lucky we are that my wife makes just enough and we have enough family supporting us (and enough gov programs to help with the costs of our student loans) so that we can make this all work without going into debt. I can't imagine how you do this as a single parent. It sure would be nice if the "pro-life" people would support policies to make it easier/more affordable to care for the kids they are ok forcing people to have.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Yes all those Republicans that want people to forego abortions should have to pay to raise the unwanted children.

[@misspat7555]

My husband sadly passed away from cancer shortly after our daughter started kindergarten. He had disabilities that made him unable to work beyond a roughly 100 customer paper route I always questioned whether we were breaking even on with the wear and tear on the car and mowing his parents’ and one of their neighbors’ lawns in the summers as he had done since high school, but the one huge thing he did was provide child care, starting when my eight-years-older son from my first marriage started kindergarten. He made sure my son got on the bus every morning from second grade through seventh, and took him for medical care more than my son’s biological/legal father ever has (which is zero). He took our daughter to baby swim (which she loved), toddler play group, and speech therapy. During the pandemic school year of 2020-2021, he also checked to make sure my son was awake for his weekly cyber day, put our daughter on the Head Start bus, then took her to Pre-K Counts when I switched her over so she could be in preschool more than 2 days a week. The last school year he was alive and functional for, both kids were finally in school and riding the bus full-time, but he was still supervising on for both and off for her, then he did one last bit of work, enrolling our daughter in kindergarten, which was a two-day process because the special ed system was involved, right around when he was diagnosed with cancer. He made it so I could work! He also helped as much as he could with our fight to get him disability benefits, including going before judges THREE TIMES before he finally was awarded the benefits that stabilized our finances about two years before he died. He did our family a great financial service, in spite of being unable to pull in much of a paycheck! ❤️💔❤️‍🩹

[@Mikinaak2023]

Probably by not having more kids than you can afford . You had to add another.

[@Erintii]

Pro life are pro birth. They don't care once kid is born.

[@rubyannr6898]

Congratulations on permanently derailing your career and earning less money over your lifetime. Hope you never have to get a job with diaper changing on your resume for years.

[@sallydee864]

Daycare in my area, the smallest ratio for babies is 1 adult to 6 infants. It’s $1,800 a month, making that $10,800 a classroom. That one teacher gets paid $12 an hour, making only $1,920 of those prophets.

[@albertdraves7584]

How do parents working 8 hours a day and taking a half hour lunch only need 8 hours of child care.? Add in an additional half of hour in both morning and afternoon for travel time that the care giver has to be there and you are up to a nine and a half hour day, minimum. Now add in insurance ( workman comp, liability, which is probably super high due to threats of lawsuits., unemployment insurance, facility insurance and probably more that I can't even imagine), plus meals , janitorial services, lawn services, snowplowing. They probably have either a huge mortgage or an even higher rent payment due every month. And then there are the utilities , lights, heat, water and sewage., Internet service and phone service. Somebody has to do the bookkeeping and somebody has to take the time to order supplies . You used a 40 hour week and 4 weeks in a month. 4 times 12 equal 48, yet there are 52 weeks in a year . You have divide 52 by 12 to get 4.33 weeks in a month. New math 9.5 times 5 equals 47.5 hours per week. 47.5 hours times 4.33 weeks equals 205 hours per month, not 160 hours. 205 times 12 equals $2460 plus 7% social security equals over $2600. I would imagine that they need some kind of daycare license and regular inspections. The license come at a cost as do the need to have someone present the inspections . Furthermore the minimum cost of employees wage to the employer is about 1.25 times the wage. So 12 times 1.25 equals $15 an hour times 205 hours in a month is over $3000 a month. I know nothing about running a business, so I'm guessing there are many more expenses that I'm overlooking.

[@dboone521]

@@albertdraves7584you say you don’t know but your math is spot on. The lease on the building alone can run the Daycare 5,000+. It’s not a cheap business to run.

[@hilarystorey4601]

1 to 6 is bad!!!! 1 to 4 is good

[@seleneartsy9008]

Honestly there should always be 2 teachers, when you’re changing a diaper who’s watching the other 3-5?

[@sallydee864]

@@seleneartsy9008 state law says that you don't need 2 teachers per room. I was often the only adult per 12 3 year olds. babies were mostly in playpens or swings or cribs all day.

[@mmmbeer3645]

Long hours and exhausting work for childcare workers. They deserve every penny they get

[@rachmith5062]

This week is my last payment for daycare. The total cost for my child care in ROCHESTER MINNESOTA for 4 yrs was $75,000.

[@Inc0gnit030]

Yet we're still expected to have kids. That's a good laugh.

[@joycewright5386]

I think a stay at home Mom could babysit one or two additional children for much less than daycare. It’s a win win for everyone.

[@spayshipearthdestinationunknow]

It’s almost like maybe the current version of society/capitalism more appropriately crony capitalism isn’t sustainable and perhaps we need to rethink the way we are living our lives. Maybe having two working parents and or a bunch of single mothers raising kids isn’t in the best interest of anyone.

[@Carterthielftw_]

This is a simple problem with a not so simple solution. America was founded on homeschooling and stay at home moms, daycare wasnt ever really supposed to need to exist. However these days its pretty tough to be a one income household, I was blessed to have a dad who made it work, but when I say work, he WORKED

[@ttopero]

Mothers should be paid to raise their children! No one has shown the simplest math problem of all: the cost of labor as it relates to the ratio of children. Childcare as a business model is fundamentally flawed as a means to pressure more moms into the ‪corporatism‬ capitalism job machine. A mother raising two children under 5 is worth A LOT more than the amount they pay for childcare & could earn in the workplace! It’s economically impossible to replace the value of parents with paid staff-exemplified by the public education system that struggles in every state. And the cherry on top: all this struggle, expense & resources result in free laborers to continue underpaying in following generations!

[@ShesquatchPiney]

Welfare started off as a government wage for domestic labor based on the number of kids etc. Thanks to a classic political fabrication, the racist myth of the welfare queen, the entire concept has been thoroughly demonized over the decades.

[@Bonafide188]

Let their partners pay them for that. Its not anyone elses problem random couples decided to have kids. We shouldn't have to pay for your problems and burdens

[@ttopero]

@@Bonafide188 it would be the ‪corporation paying the cost (possibly as a fee per employee) that they will eventually employ the gift of raising that employee for the ‪corporation. Can’t flesh it out in a YT comment but it takes an open minded individual to think outside their programming

[@ashleyslack5960]

SAHM of 4. No we shouldn't be paid to raise our kids. Do not commodify children or the mothering experience.

[@ttopero]

@@ashleyslack5960 what do you think childcare & public schools are doing-commodifying raising children & educating them to be good military & corporate servants!

[@aaronsnumbuh2]

I’m glad I’m Latino and I have two sets of good parents. Our culture never sends the grandparents to old people homes, and this ensures our family stays close knit and they can help raise the grandchildren. Everyone is happy and everyone saves money

[@vice8063]

You pay for what you get just like in every other aspect of life. I’m a nanny and have also worked at daycares. It’s a difficult job and we deserve to afford a roof over our heads for caring for your children everyday. You can pay a teen to care for your kids and keep them alive or you can pay for a college educated person to ensure your child thrives. It’s really does to what you can afford and what you want for your kids.

[@juliebella1221]

To go to college to learn is about 7k a year. Add to live on campus is another 17k a year. It's a racket. All the teachers pay, only 7k, but room and board in a box with another person and a boxed food plan and you have to leave on Holidays and Winter and Summer....17k a year. For a Freshman year total of 24k and only 7k is going to the actual education. And they make it mandatory to live on campus first year even though it would be nicer and cheaper to live off campus.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

This is not the subject today.

[@juliebella1221]

@karlabritfeld7104 Yes it is.

[@Zyo117]

Who keeps coming up with these numbers? 7 percent of your income should go to childcare. 25 percent goes to savings, a third goes to rent...can I see that total budget please?

[@haveaseatplease]

You cannot be serious! The middle class has lost 30% of its real purchasing power in the last decade alone. Middle class wages have been stagnating during more than 3 decades! You really must be in a privileged position to be this disconnected.

[@Zyo117]

@@haveaseatplease I look at my reply and then yours...where in the hell do I claim the middle class is rich? That's my point, genius. Whoever's making up these arbitrary 'percentages of income' that a person should spend on necessities obviously has no idea how much people make or can realistically afford.

[@haveaseatplease]

Well, the comment could also be interpreted the other way around.@@Zyo117

[@peacekeeperbabe]

@@Zyo117yep. The business/banks who created these ‘guidelines’ HAVE never actually used them.

[@ShesquatchPiney]

Somebody in this vid made the choice to unironically use Dave Ramsey clips, so do with that what you will.

[@Suzanne291]

Providing a tax incentive for mom or dad to stay home seems like it may be the best option for both parent and child.

[@Craxin01]

It's more cost effective to be a good person. If only governments and corporations understood that concept.

[@riah4106]

This is crazy why not offer the women another option... staying home permanently instead of working...

[@ashleyslack5960]

That IS an option. People are too materialistic and selfish though to stay home and raise their babies themselves.

[@CarrieV9]

Caring for children is difficult work. They deserve an appropriate wage. It’s great that many people are rethinking if they want children. If you can’t afford them, remain childfree. I don’t see the US ever adopting a heavily subsidized system.

[@AdamBechtol]

Mmmm

[@michah321]

Which is why we aren't suffering under the burden of population that so many countries have that highly subsidize having children and have strong pro-natal policies. We're going for quality of life for the people we have not quantity of people

[@mw4507]

we have 5 kids, paid zero for childcare because my wife stayed home with the kids. we had to let go of alot of things. But the 2 income homes appear miserable. we have a modest home and can't go to starbucks every day. Is way better than this nonsense.

[@sjtalksandlife]

That's smart thinking..children are much better off with mom at home..😉

[@Bladeofwar94]

People who are mad at paying taxes are short sighted and self centered. I ABSOLUTELY understand for the people who are struggling, but that's why we'd use taxes. It takes a village to raise a kid and I think we need to lean on that saying.

[@Praisethesunson]

American taxes are used on weapons to make kids in other nations into skeletons

[@ShesquatchPiney]

We Americans already pay an ungodly amount in taxes when you compare to a country with technically higher taxes but a healthier social safety net. With corporate subsidies, bailouts, and the military industrial complex, our taxes are already an astronomical funnel up to the very richest. Europeans look at us with pity cus we're paying out the ass in taxes while barely seeing any of it come back substantively in our lives. We wouldn't even have to hike taxes that much to have comparable social programs, we could knock out most of it if we just stopped letting corpos rob the populace under the guise of "job creation"

[@ashleyslack5960]

No it takes a family to raise a kid(s). What you speak of is evil Marxism. Go away. This is America.

[@MrHorrorking13]

I know a way how families could afford Child Care and Child Care centers could stay open with a fully paid staff. Get the pro life movement and mega churches pay for everything since they dont need it.

[@YourCapyFrenBigly_3DPipes1999]

Fr lol.

[@AlexP-dz7ew]

Christian organizations had the money to buy 3 Super Bowl ads ($7million each). Think of how many kids that could have fed, housed, or educated Too much of the wealth are in the hands of people who are not interested in investing in the people they claim to “save”

[@MandiSmash]

Why don't we make daycares public? Because people still consider it the responsibility of the MOTHER ONLY. If this ever impacted men even slightly it would change society from top to bottom. Such a fucking nightmare. I live near DC and we pay $2000/mo for our 4 year old to be in a classroom of 12 and still we have no coverage on most holidays and the teachers aren't paid enough to live in the area. It should be a public service. This is absolutely societal negligence.

[@Erintii]

agree, daycare will be for free if this affects men. Women are forced to stay at home at the economic leash and be happy. And then replace with younger one. Childfree is the best option in many aspects.

[@michah321]

Why should we pay taxes to crowd our country with more children?

[@jesse11111]

Child care has no impact on a father's life? How delusional is that 😂 You might want to find a new partner if he is completely uninvolved in your children's lives. But don't blame half of all people for your partners shortcomings.

[@ashleyslack5960]

Oh wah wah wah!! Societal negligence? Yes, absolutely.... putting your BABY, or TODDLER in DAYCARE is negligent. Yes, the rightly ordered thing is for mothers to be home with their children and fathers to earn the wages. No, it's not "old-fashioned." It was the way it was done for the majority of people for most of history until a few decades ago. Our society is not healthier with women in the workforce. Never has been. We are only sicker in mind, body and soul, because women are trying to be like men. We are the natural nurturers. It is our job to be home with the kids. Daycare was always meant to be for the POOR. Not the middle-class manager mom who just wants to live her best life and chase the dream. Women need to grow up. ~Signed, a Stay At Home, Homeschooling Millennial Mother of 4. P.S. If you can afford $2000 per month for daycare... you can afford to be a SAHM. Cry me a river.

[@michah321]

@@ashleyslack5960 you define yourself for yourself. You have no right to push a definition of womanhood on other women. I didn't choose to have children because I didn't want them for many reasons including there are more than enough people already. My friends all have kids and careers. The kids are successful confident and happy. How dare you judge other women and try to force or guilt them into your chosen lifestyle. And for the record, I'm NOT a " nurturer" but for sure I am a woman. Sorry if that messes up your simple world view.

[@GenerationX1984]

I like this channel. Unlike the corporate news, it actually covers relevant topics.

[@dfolz1101]

MPU is doing such amazing work. Keep it up guys, it's almost absurd how informative this is.

[@faidou9954]

This is one of the many reasons why I have no shame in chosing to be childfree, as well as the main reason.

[@jaichatters621]

I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure Gretchen Whitmer is including universal childcare in Michigan’s budget this year.

[@aprilfox9205]

Holy crap really, that's amazing..✌️

[@getinthespace7715]

If childcare is too expensive... Consider starting a daycare.. In our area, daycare is $1200/m. My wife stayed home. If she would have wanted to start a daycare she could have watched up to 6 other kids and made up to $86k a year.

[@sjtalksandlife]

I actually thought about it..but when I think of the liabilities I say no thanks..I'm good..😄😉

[@getinthespace7715]

@sweetjune2010 , you can get insurance for pretty cheap to protect you from liability. My wife made the same choice as you, though. Instead, she got a job at the hospital working evenings. I worked 5 to 3. She worked 3 to 11. Avoided those crazy daycare costs until our daughter was in school. Then she shifted to working 5-3 I shifted to 8-5. She ended up turning her work at the hospital into a paid for nursing program. She graduated in January with her nurse practitioner. Our daughter is 13 now. Self-sufficient. Keep your eyes peeled for creative solutions.

[@danielhahn55]

I love how the US is slowly discovering benefits of certain aspects of socialism. Here in Austria, childcare is nearly 100% paid by the government (city, not nation) - we pay 75€ (approx 80$) per month for our 2,5yrs old childs daycare. Thats to cover food. All the wages, real estate, everything is paid for by the city, and subsequently by us through taxes. We could have had 2 years of paternal/maternal leave, but were able to pursue our careers instead, because our child has excellent care.

[@aprilfox9205]

That's amazing, the US is a 3rd world country as far as social standards go. The conservatives here will not allow a way towards socialism. Anything that would help average families, they liken it to communism. It's unadulterated greed. We are doomed.

[@ashleyslack5960]

Socialism is the death of everything. Rapacious capitalism is not good either, but the happy middle ground is healthy capitalism. The real problem that no one here will admit is that Americans are addicted to consuming everything in their path, like locusts. They live too large and want everyone else to pay for their lifestyle, including paying for and raising their kids. Not happy to have someone else raising their kids, no someone else needs to pay for it too. It's evil.

[@mdfalse]

The real tragedy is how much impact this has on early socializing and development. Want to have a socialized and well adjusted future student, worker, parent, etc it starts with strong socialization and learning foundation. Due to the costs of daycare so many parents choose to save and either skip working, plant the kid with a grandparent (if they're lucky), drop off the kid for as little time as possible or extremely erratic schedule so the kid can never adjust, and any other hard to normalize situation for a developing brain. Not investing or subsidizing this will only create larger issues for our society in the future.

[@ashleyslack5960]

Ha! You want a well adjusted society?? Mothers need to stop abandoning their babies at birth for institutions to raise them!!

[@SandhillCrane42]

This is why you don't have kids, kids.

[@chart24]

Normalize single income families again! Middle class should not need daycare. More stay at home parents means daycare is available for those who truly need it (One parent households and low income).

[@RainZen19]

I just read the average cost of childcare in my area is $2,000/month. That's more than the monthly payment on my Tesla. Why even have a child?

[@luddity]

Exactly. That's why massive immigration is being done to make up the shortfall.

[@RainZen19]

@@luddity Immigration won't solve the problem in the long run. Those immigrants are gonna see the childcare costs and decide to be child free too, we'll be back at square one

[@OwlBinary]

I hate the fact the US economy is reaching the point where rich philanthropy might be the best (or only) way to prevent a massive collapse. As much as I like to donate to children's education, housing funds, healthcare crowdfunding, etc. it isn't a long-term solution. I know I can't speak for other wealthy people, but I've always been in favor of higher taxes on the wealthy. Maybe this is because I was once young and homeless, saw the cost of cancer on families when my mother died, or saw my sister struggle after an abusive situation resulting in unwanted children being neglected. We cannot prevent all suffering, but we can mitigate the worst of it for a lot of people. That's is what we should be striving for, not perfect but at least very effective. I hope our business continues to grow so maybe I too can help build more affordable and sustainable daycares in underserved communities.

[@TechnoGeek18023]

If you ever worked in the nonprofit sector you would know how much of a scam rich philanthropy actually is. The answer is higher taxes on businesses and the wealthy plus re-investing in social safety nets like rational countries. Closing loopholes and cutting out give aways to the oil and gas sector and military industrial complex that are un-necessary. Eisenhower is probably rolling over in his grave if he knew what warned about came to pass.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

You basically said a whole mouthful of excuses and mumbo jumbo.

[@custos3249]

Now consider that's the same wage or more as people who work with violent and troubled youth. Having a degree required for low level counseling, $13.50 to get punched, bit, kicked, accused of disgusting things, and worse daily. Nope. Done with psychology.

[@ElizabethJones-pv3sj]

For couples in a healthy supportive relationship one parent staying home with kids can be great but for women who are in danger of abuse being financially dependant on their husband makes them so much more vulnerable and easy to control. Then because of centuries of cultural expectations it's always the mother who are assumed to be stay at home parent the idea of both parents working less hours (e.g. both parents work a 4 day week and only have to pay for 3 days childcare) almost never occurs to people.

[@marcusmoonstein242]

2:22 Did anybody else notice that the mandated carer/child ratio is 1:15 for school-age children? Shouldn't this mean that schools should also have a 1:15 teacher/child ratio?

[@honestfriend767]

Thank you. I saw that too. This is a manufactured problem.

[@AJourneyOfYourSoul]

The bottom line is the only way child care works financially long term for everyone is multi generational housing with two parent marriages that last. The daycare model will not work, even with government involvement. There are not enough rich people to take care of the entire rest of the population when that population doesn’t make good life choices.

[@loriki8766]

As much wealth as America has, there should be national subsidies for childcare.

[@Bonafide188]

Why should I pay for other people’s spawns?

[@NoMoreCrumbs]

​@@Bonafide188 Because sacrificing a little for the public good yields huge dividends down the line for you and everyone else. Public investment creates public benefits. Real "why should I have to pay for roads I don't use" mindset. You ought to spend more time talking with your neighbors

[@tisvana18]

There are, they aren’t enough. They bring down the cost maybe $300 or $400/mo. And like… the daycares are sketch as hell too.

[@loriki8766]

@@Bonafide188 Because that little kid that you helped pay for daycare for allowed his mom to complete med school which allowed her to be doctor and save your life. It allowed the kid to grow up healthy and do other kind things for the community. When everyone invests in the public good - whether they use those benefits or not - everyone profits.

[@Bonafide188]

@@loriki8766 I don't care about that kid or their mother. This society is one where everyone is out for themselves, no exceptions. No one deserves exemptions just cause they popped a kid out. In this case if she couldn't do med school with a kid then maybe dont have a kid or wait till she isnt poor

[@hahadarrie]

This country needs to follow suit and allow time off for mothers/ a parent to stay home within in the first 1-3 years. I’m a certified teacher who quit teaching. I could not bring myself to turn my infant over to a stranger while I went to essentially raise a classroom of 25 other children. I also could not afford to enroll my child in the same daycare I would teach. America needs to prioritize FAMILY.

[@linhaton4957]

You want the taxpayers to fund you staying at home?

[@sweetcherry7759]

America just needs to make Paid Parental Leave _Mandatory_ - it’s literally fix so much..

[@ashleyslack5960]

And you'll pay for it, with your taxes. And it won't be cheap. Mothers should simply be home with their kids. Cut your lifestyle. Get on a budget. Make it happen.

[@Sunflowers-Pumpkins]

This affects men also, but it really hits women. Think of jobs that are traditionally held by women (and still are) nursing and teaching, we have huge staffing shortages in these careers. There are trained teachers and nurses literally sitting at home with their kids for at least five years because daycare makes working not worth it. If you have two professional parents, they may be at that 175k point with both parents working. This government program still doesn’t solve the problem. It may get a woman back to work, but the dual income will disqualify the couple from this subsidy.

[@christins.1481]

It's just in general on contributing back to society by working. I met one mother who wanted to work but she didn't because they couldn't afford childcare. Problem is our greedy government. With everyone working, more money is going to taxes, those taxes should go back to the nation as a whole via Healthcare and childcare. That doesn't happen though.

[@jbb8261]

I’ll never understand why people pay for this. Have mom home. Kids need mom the most up to age three.

[@michah321]

A PARENT. It doesn't have to be " mom".

[@jbb8261]

@@michah321 it’s better for it to be MOM, just like I said, up to age three and even beyond. Cope. Fathers play just as vital of a role but they aren’t wired to be the 24/7 caregiver and nurturer like mom.

[@michah321]

@@jbb8261 I know plenty of men who would be FAR better at that then I would. I think that generalization is very over played.

[@jbb8261]

@@michah321 that’s sad and makes no sense. Fathers can’t breastfeed, first of all, and second if they’re better caretaker than mom then that’s backwards

[@michah321]

@@jbb8261 a mom can pump breast milk, if you haven't heard of the technology 🙄. And BOTH parents SHOULD be equally able to nurture infants. That's called PARENTING

[@jassy0903]

I know its probably mentioned in the video but it really does depend on the state. In New Mexico, we paid half what these families do because the state reimburses the center, completely pays for pre k, and gives childcare assistance to low income families where they may not have to pay at all. The state has to value children first. And also sit on a huge cash of oil and natural gas to pay for it all

[@mjz16]

Part of the problem is that families are scattered now. Used to be that extended families, grandparents, siblings, etc. lived close to each other, or with, and helped each other out.

[@YourCapyFrenBigly_3DPipes1999]

Agreed. Several factors contribute to the fact that families are more spread out or less connected than in previous eras which makes it harder for working families to easily manage childcare ... It's unfortunate.

[@YourCapyFrenBigly_3DPipes1999]

@@blasphimus plenty of people are having kids lol. This isn't the issue.

[@fighttheevilrobots3417]

I think my family is a good example. My brother, mom, and myself all live in different state, mainly because my brother and I could only find work in cities and my mom insists on living in the suburbs. We also would not be able to conduct our lives with freedom if we lived close to mom. She is old fashioned and judgemental, and we value our privacy and independence....we know if we lived with her we would constantly have to answer to her about every aspect of our lives and that is exhausting and impossible for our mental health.

[@YourCapyFrenBigly_3DPipes1999]

@@fighttheevilrobots3417 that's too bad she's like that. Sounds like that makes a close relationship difficult.

[@yesimemoin0935]

Family can help out here and there if a kid is sick or parents are working late but they can't be expected to care for a kid for free indefinitely. Average grandma is 50 yo and still in the workforce, ppl move away for better wages, etc.

[@shawizz]

We save so much more money with me just staying home and raising my own kids than when I was working just to turn my checks, and then some, over to childcare. Everybody needs to make a livable wage. I did end up quitting my cushy government job to work in childcare so I could get a discount on childcare and actually afford them to go and bring home an extra 300-500 a month if I worked overtime. Hardest job I’ve ever had. John & Kate + 8 ain’t got nothing in a childcare provider.

[@Patchouliprince]

If all people in the US had paid parental leave, covered medical expenses so you don’t have to get to work right away to pay off the hospital, people could afford housing so maybe one of the parents could even afford to opt out of working to care for the child(ren), and childcare workers were paid an actual living wage which we all know is well above minimum wage, then we wouldn’t be here

[@33percentgod]

But that doesn't serve corporations and it's share holders so the peasants can starve and live on the street. That's their attitudes. Everything at this point in 2024 is here only to serve the rich and we're at the breaking point of late/end stage Capitalism.

[@avres13]

I think most the time people are just bad with money and thought why not had a kid and then why not another kid🙄 then they complain about the cost of childcare when they knew full well they couldn’t afford to have one and expect other tax payers to make up the difference

[@volundros]

You're really not going to mention how the majority of day care centers were taken over by Private Equity? It's expensive because it's designed to be intentionally.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Of course. Gotta make money off the poor and middle class.

[@cyropox8235]

Private equity takes over failing businesses for pennies on the dollar to make them viable. But If the original business model was viable in the first place, private equity wouldn't have token over. Private equity needs to make big changes or else the PE managers would just go bankrupt like the original business did

[@browneyedguitargirl]

This topic is so full that I don’t think all the history, issues, and possible solutions could be listed or explained in one video. That being said, I wish this video brought up the historical origins of government funded childcare during WWII in the US. It would have added perspective. I also would have liked to see some of the statistics of how important it is for a woman to keep working while her children are young so that she continues contributing to her own retirement funds, and growing in her career. If we want mothers to stay home and raise children, we have to stop punishing them when they go back into the workforce only to start over on their careers.

[@ashleyslack5960]

This comment is everything wrong with my generation. You can grow retirement funds without working. It's called an IRA. I have one and I am a SAHM. I will never go back to work because my children are more important that a career or riches. Neither will get me to Heaven.

[@NeorecnamorceN]

Simple solution, strip serving in Congress of all income above the poverty line. Force the reps to live like the poorest Americans and youd see things change quick!

[@kristae.7686]

If tax payers are subsidizing paying for sports stadiums, why not feed two birds with one feeder, and mandate a certain amount of space to it/within it must be for a child care facility? That way the building gets used all year instead of just during athletic season?

[@durandus676]

It would be cheaper for me to be the sole income provider for a family than to pay child care.

[@dianahart3725]

Make it livable on one income again. Used to be a man could make enough to support a family with just a high school education. Moms took care of the house and children. Now we try to outsource our most important life elements (parenting) for the peanuts that make life with 2 incomes barely feasible. Make families great again.❤

[@tigerslilly]

It seems like having kids isn't a good idea

[@bonniegaither3994]

Adding to the list: Military industrial complex Homeless industrial complex Child care industrial complex Assisted living industrial complex. ………

[@matthewingerson]

Wealthy-class(right-wing) Industrial Complex versus Working-class communities. Ain't no war but the class war. ✌🤟✊🙏