OPINION:
Sen. JD Vance — the scourge of “childless cat ladies” — has done it again. The Ohio Republican offended liberal sensibilities by suggesting an answer to the child care clamor that doesn’t involve more government.
Former President Donald Trump’s running mate said that in some cases, grandparents might help care for the children of working parents.
The response was blistering. The word “idiot” was used often in headlines. The fool! Doesn’t he know that more government is the only serious solution to any problem?
Progressives want to alleviate the high cost of institutional child care with subsidies — which will, in turn, drive up the high cost of institutional child care.
In return for subsidies, progressives will demand tighter licensing requirements, including diversity, equity and inclusion training. Do preschoolers have preferred pronouns?
The average couple with two children pay 30% of their combined wages for child care. That’s exorbitant, Democrats complain. It’s better to let taxpayers pick up the tab, including parents who don’t outsource care of their children.
Mr. Vance is consistent. In 2021, he declared, “Universal child care is a massive subsidy to the lifestyle preferences of the affluent over the preferences of the middle and working class.”
It’s like forcing a convenience store clerk to pay off the student loans of a lawyer.
President Biden wants to spend $225 billion on child care subsidies. Vice President Kamala Harris says the cost to parents should be capped at $10 a day.
Mr. Biden thinks no cost is too high to keep both parents working and paying taxes to keep their children in child care. “When a parent drops out of the workforce — even temporarily — there are lifetime consequences,” the president warns.
There are also consequences that come from warehousing children with strangers at 1, 2 or 3 years of age. Studies show children confined to child care generally have increased levels of anxiety and aggressive behavior. Anything that weakens the maternal bond is detrimental.
The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding from one hour after birth to age 2. It notes that a mother’s touch and smell help a child deal with stress. Strong maternal attachment in the first years of life sets the stage for optimal development later.
All of this is undercut by child care. Psychologist Bruno Bettelheim, in his 1969 classic “The Children of the Dream,” wrote of emotionally disturbed children who had been raised communally on Israeli kibbutzim.
Most mothers feel that working outside the home is detrimental to their children. In a 2021 American Compass poll, 53% of married women preferred having one parent at home, at least until the youngest child was in kindergarten.
Where that’s not possible, many parents rely on family members, friends and neighbors. There are an estimated 5 million of these caregivers in this country, including grandparents.
With whom would you sooner trust the well-being of your children: a loving family member with emotional attachment and blood ties, or a stranger who is paid to look after children?
Child care often has unforeseen consequences. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, thousands of day care centers are reported each year for physical abuse — including sexual abuse — or neglect.
In a moment reminiscent of Hillary Clinton’s “It takes a village to raise a child,” in April, Mr. Biden proclaimed: ”There is no such thing as someone else’s child. Our nation’s children are all our children.” So we’re all to blame for how Hunter Biden turned out?
The president’s declaration reflects liberals’ scary view of raising children.
Just because you gave birth to a child and nurtured him in sickness and health doesn’t make the child yours. According to collectivist doctrine, they are the property of the state.
Under this mindset, the less parents have to do with their offspring, the better. They might pass on their bigoted notions of gender or antiquated religious values.
The push for federal subsidies for and control of child care makes perfect sense.
For big government, it’s a win-win-win situation. Two parents in the workforce means more taxable income and increased demand for institutionalized child care, providing more opportunities for indoctrination.
Mr. Vance is right. But it goes beyond fairness or personal preferences to the question of who will shape the next generation.
Mr. Vance’s maternal grandmother was the decisive influence in his childhood, helping to make him resilient enough to withstand media abuse as a candidate.
• Don Feder is a columnist with The Washington Times.
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