Do child care advocates want big government solutions, such as government-run centers?
It’s a mistake to think the government runs or controls child care centers or advocates are proposing that it do so. Our child care system is a patchwork of private enterprises, which like many other private businesses flourish or fail based on the demands of the free market. Right now, parents choose among relatives, neighbors, child care centers and neighborhood child care homes. We don’t want to change that system; we want it to work better. We believe that parents have a primary responsibility to their children, that parents should have the resources to choose the type and quality of care they think is best for their child and caregivers should have the support and the resources they need to provide quality child care. The bottom line is that parents need more choices, greater flexibility and real security in choosing reliable child care. This is not about creating government-run centers or creating new federal programs. It is about helping working families and their children find
