In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.If you read liberal reporters and commentators, the biggest unmet need in the United States is formal childcare.If you listen to Democratic politicians, you might believe that affordable daycare is one of the top issues out there, and that “universal childcare” is in high demand.
But if you study the polls and read the academic research on this, you will find that formal childcare is not in extremely high demand (outside of the circles of media and political elites, that is).
Most parents do not want the model Democrats and the major media take for granted — two full-time jobs combined with institutional childcare.
What’s more, study after study undermines the feminist claim that mothers are kept out of the workforce by a lack of childcare.
Yes, most parents rely on paid childcare at some point. Yes, single mothers and their children benefit from predictable, affordable childcare.
