The problem persists. Two-thirds of women with children under the age of six work outside the home. Their children need care. It is estimated that 60 to 75 percent of day care providers are unlicensed. Burnout is high.
Dependability is marginal.
Day care at the work site is the exception, rather than the rule. Before and after school care is spotty. But, single parents don't have that option and must work within a system of child care that has been called the worst in the industrialized world. A proposal forcing private companies to provide free on-site care is also on the table. Proponents feel that the door is, at least, open a crack so that Congress will be forced to look more closely at the problem.