Resources Issue: homeschooling

• *PDF Download: In 60 Seconds – Child Care

We all want American children to be well cared for and ready for school. But the government should not unfairly subsidize one type of childcare (daycare/preschool) at the expense of all families. Instead, we should empower all families to make the choices they feel are best for their children. Here’s the issue of child care in 60 seconds:

What’s at Stake

We all want children well cared for and ready for school. But government shouldn’t favor one arrangement (daycare/preschool) over others. Instead, we should empower all families to make the best choices for their unique situations. Most parents prefer family or home-based daycare. 

• Most working mothers would prefer to work less and spend more time with their children. High taxes and living costs make it difficult for families to live on one salary.
• Between 2005 and 2017, the number of home-based childcare providers fell by about 50 percent

Unfortunately, governments tend to subsidize larger, institutional childcare centers, making it harder for home-based centers to compete, and leaving families with fewer options. Institutional daycare is parents’ least preferred option.

• 53 percent of married and 40 percent of single mothers think one parent staying home is best for children.
• Just 6 percent of parents think a quality daycare center is optimal.

Greater daycare or preschool enrollment does NOT improve outcomes and may cause harm.

• A federal study of Head Start showed no academic benefits and some emotional harms.
• While intensive programs can help very at-risk students, there’s no evidence of benefits for the general population.

The Better Way Forward:

Make daycare more affordable.

• A Mercatus Center study found that low child-staff ratios did not improve the quality of child care, but significantly increased costs.
• Increasing child-staff ratios by one infant, for example, could “reduce the annual cost of child care by between $850 and $1,890 per child across all states, on average.

Policymakers should support all families. Rather than increasing subsidies for daycare, policymakers should help all families with young children by reducing tax and regulatory burdens and supporting strong, flexible labor markets so families can make the childcare decision that they feel is best.

Addressing Misperceptions

In 60 Seconds – Parental Rights

What’s at Stake

Public school students are being used by activists as political pawns

As a result of teachers union actions and overzealous school district policies, students in public school districts across the country have been:

• Denied access to in-person learning. Many have fallen behind as a result—and have not caught up.
• Forced to wear masks in the classroom despite negligible evidence of any health benefits and growing concern of harm.
• Taught components of Critical Race Theory (CRT), a deeply-flawed theory that divides students and teaches them to mistrust one another.
• Exposed to age inappropriate sexual topics. Some schools are actively transitioning children without parental consent. Anti-parent tactics are being employed in pursuit of a leftist agenda.
• Schools are withholding pertinent information from parents, such as the classroom curriculum and their child’s gender identity.
• Those who dare to speak out have been labeled “domestic terrorists” by the FBI, run out of public schools, or targeted by school board officials.

Students Deserve Better

Parents should be kept informed and be involved in all decision-making when it comes to the education of their children

• As parents, we know what is best for our children. To ensure that children are provided with the educational opportunities they need to succeed in life, parents should be in the driver’s seat.
• Educators have an obligation to keep parents informed about their child’s educational experience and the curriculum they are using in the classroom.
• Masking should be an individual and parent-driven choice for children who are at low risk for disease related to COVID-19. Whatever decision parents make, schools have a responsibility to treat all children with dignity and respect.
• Parents need more leverage. Instead of funding systems, funding should follow students so parents can make educational choices that reflect their values.

Addressing Misperceptions