What is the problem with the cost of Childcare?

[Anonymous]

What is the problem with the cost of Childcare?

The innate labor intensive nature of the world which Mother's used to be dedicated to as a full time job or ever more costly Government Regulations?

There is little question that young children require a great deal of supervision and care. So much so that historically this was their mother's full time job.

So its not reasonable to expect hiring someone else to do the same work, (so the mother can work for stranger instead of her baby) would ever be inexpensive. You are basically employing a substitute mother.


That said a dedicated professional can arguably juggle a little more but not much more according to the 'law'. Which often requires not more than 3-4 children to such a 'professional'. Ironically comparable to what a Mother might have had were she birthing at a historically normal rate.

Again your hiring a 'mother' and wanting them to preform the task as arguably required or expected. Which naturally takes times and skills of someone dedicated to the job if your for good reasons not open to the factory farming mechanization techniques to be applied to human children. I mean who would given what it does to farm animals?

All of those demands add to the price your going to pay, when you mandate them in law as Most every state does it adds to the price EVERYONE must pay.

Are we being unreasonable in asking for cheaper child care while demanding high standards?

https://www.cato.org/regulation/fall-2018/regressive-effects-child-care-regulations#why-is-child-care-so-expensive

[Nikki1989]

Childcare costs have risen significantly recently and there is no sign of that ever easing.

[Asker]

As I pointed out @nikki1989 you are basically hiring anther person to mother your children for you while you go work for some stranger.

Just the monetary cost of their service (never mind the unseen cost to your child) either is less than take home from that boss or its not worth it. This was very uncommon until the 1980s, what became of the children 'raised' this way isn't exactly endorsement of the practice.

[Anonymous]

Most women don’t want 3-4 kids, let alone more

[Asker]

Modern women are spoiled and lazy compared to women of the past who were in fact raising as many or more young children routinely. Granted they had the help of their extended family usually.

Your odds of surviving to 20 were not good historically just 200 years ago with the beginnings of modern medicine it was 50% and still enough children were born for the population to boom meaning women had to have been giving birth and raising a lot more than 4 or more children.

Disproportionately young given infant mortality was soo high even up to the 20th century it was common not to even name the child until they reached 1.

[Opinion Owner]

Thank god we don’t live in those times anymore

[Asker]

While technology has been amazing for reducing infinite mortally, and the work which a mother must do with automation from washing machines to cooking. Contributing to the apparently premature believe she had time to leave her children to work for someone else. Assuming it wasn't simply a necessity of contemporary 1970's welfare driven inflation.

The prob em with the current child raising technique or lack thereof is if our current "times" continue more than a few generations we won't be living at all. There will be nobody stable enough to invent, maintain, or use these machines. Children very much need their mothers and fathers.

[AI Opinion]

The high cost of childcare is indeed tied to its labor-intensive nature and stringent regulations. Quality childcare requires significant attention, skill, and maintaining low child-to-caregiver ratios, which naturally increases costs. Additionally, government regulations ensure child safety and developmental standards, further raising expenses. While these factors are crucial for children’s well-being, they do contribute to the overall cost. Balancing affordability and quality is a complex challenge, and although demanding high standards is necessary, it inherently limits cost reduction. Solutions might include increased subsidies or innovative childcare models that uphold quality without prohibitive costs.

[strateguy632]

Good answer