Should government sponsored or mandatory employer paid day care be provided for children of working parents?

Question

-Should government sponsored or mandatory employer paid day care be provided for children of working parents?

Answer 1

Providing gov't child care is the gov't telling the people what their lifestyle choice should be, and subsidizing that choice and not others. The gov't cant give anyone anything unless it takes it from the people, first. Why should the couple who is sacrificing the extra vacations and new cars in order for one parent to stay home, have to pay more in taxes so that others can get the gov't provided day care?

The employer shouldn't have any more gov't mandated demands. The small employers can't afford it and the big ones can just leave the country, and go where it's cheaper to do business.

Answer 2

Parents already receive relief from the government in the form of tax breaks and exemptions that are unavailable to childless tax-payers...and there are both federal and state laws structured to protect a parents employment during and after their child's birth...so...no, absolutely not!  We DO NOT need another reactionary, large-scale, bureaucratic social program like forced daycare coverage.    

Mandating this type of perk would be overly burdensome to the majority of private employers.  Companies (both large and small) are struggling to simply provide health insurance...which is designed to benefit ALL employees...

whereas the type of daycare assistance you're asking about will only benefit parents.  It's unethical to mandate benefits that are only selectively beneficial!  

Should employers be forced to give single workers Fridays or Mondays off due to their busier social calenders?  Should people who like to eat more than average be entitled to an hour and a half lunch break...so they can eat more?  Should we pass laws so that workers who smoke are guaranteed  6 extra ten minute breaks daily so they can go have a smoke??    

Whether financed by the government or private employers...who's going to establish the guidelines and administrate the program...and who in-turn will oversee those who are responsible for establishing the guidelines and administrating the program??  Our government has shown conclusively, time and again, that it is unable to effectively manage the existing social programs already in place.  

Personal responsibility is what's needed...not another handout!!

Answer 3

Nope. Parents weren't issued babies. It was a choice they made. With that choice comes responsibility, like paying for the expenses related to having a child.

Why should everyone else including those who have done the right thing and cared for their own kids, as well as those that don't have kids at all have to bear the burden for this? And they will - do you think that employers could establish free child care and keep their current employment and/or salary levels? Of course not - child care is expensive especially since an employer would have to buy tons of insurance to keep the blood sucking lawyers at bay -  which means that someone else has to pay the price. That means less jobs, or less wages, or both.

Answer 4

neither

Parents should pay for their kids or quit having them

Answer 5

No.  One of the decision that faces couples is "Is the second income worth not raising our own children for part of each day."  The economic portion of this question is answered by the cost of daycare, and is often the easiest aspect of it to see.  Removing (or, rather, hiding) that cost will only further distort the decision.

In any case, where it's worth it to attract workers, employers /do/ provide daycare, voluntarily...

Answer 6

Oh gosh no! Could you imagine?  Yikes...

Can you imagine how horrible a Government sponsered babysitter would be?!  We're talkin' shaken-baby syndrome for sure...   Awful idea...

Answer 7

Absolutely yes with a tax breaks for the smaller businesses.

A few years ago, the federal govt passed legislation requiring all businesses with over 50 employees to mandatorily offer health insurance. I think the same should apply to daycare.

In today's times, 60% of society can not survive without both parents working. Until that changes and the wealth is distributed more fairly, daycare should be subsidized.

Answer 8

Sure, keep having the employer take all the hits so they can go out of business and leave their employees on unemployment.

Answer 9

WHAT !     Didn't you know that the smartest woman in the world decreed that it "takes a village to raise a child"?