Leaving things entirely to the unfettered marketplace works poorly in supplying a country's child care, for the same reasons it worked poorly in fulfilling the country's educational needs. It is in the public's interest that the services be of decent quality, but millions of parents are unable to pay what standard-quality services currently cost, much less what they would cost if child care wages were increased. The bill will not be paid by employers, who are trying to cut down on expensive fringe benefits. Nor will any appreciable part of the money come from charities, which currently contribute about 1 percent of the cost. Government already plays a considerable role, and improving the country's child care services will require expanding that role.
Some child care is provided in the public sector.
Programs of this type could be expanded considerably. Kindergartens that run for the full school day are still not offered everywhere, but they are becoming more available. Some of these classes are taught in public schools, some in privately run centers. These appropriations have been growing, but they still don't provide enough money to cover more than 12 percent of the children eligible for such help. A simple and modest goal would be to fund care for all children eligible under current CCDF rules.