The topic of this analysis is day care--should the United States adopt a national policy on day care? In analyzing this topic, two questions will be discussed: Would a national policy on day Care pose a serious risk to the traditional family? Is quality day care a right like the right to a pubic education? A number of individuals, groups, and stakeholders are involved: politicians and other public officials, welfare recipients, working poor families, traditional families, business people, and organizations on the local, state, national, and international level are interested in the welfare of children.
Day care is provided to children, the mentally and physically disabled, and seniors. For purposes of this paper, the discussion will be limited to children. Articles on this subject from various publications have been be used to illustrate various types of fallacious thinking.
Kathleen Keller's article, "'90s Family: Who's Minding the Kids?" is pro-national child care. The article indicates that most parents can not be home with their children because they have to work. The issues she raises include how much does quality care cost and what role should the government and employers play in providing day care.
Keller's article opens with an inflammatory quote from Helen Blank, the director of children care for the Children's Defense fund. Blank indicates that, while politicians say they want families to work, they are taking away child care assistance which enables them to work. Under the new welfare reform, states will force limited child care assistance on welfare families. This could leave little assistance for working poor families who are one job away from welfare, accordign to Blank. Shifting funds from low-income working families to nonworking welfare recipients for two years puts more children at risk (Keller E-3).
Blank's opinion on the impact of the welfare reform legislation is quoted as if fa...