[dagmx]

Title should really clarify: “In the US”.

Childcare is much cheaper in other countries, even relative to the lower earning potentials.

Canada for example is working towards $10/child/day childcare https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/campa...

[bot403]

In the Czech Republic women get a legally protected 3 year maternity leave. Enough time to get a child into preschool.

And you get a small monthly stipend per child during this time. It's small but it's something.

[apparent]

What does "legally protected maternity leave" mean? From your stipend comment it sounds like it's not fully-paid. Does it just mean your company has to offer you your job back when you want to return? What happens if the company has eliminated the roll/laid people off in the meantime? Can they not get rid of your position if you are on maternity at the time?

[goalieca]

The 10$ a day program is double to triple that price and childcare spaces have become even more rare since that program launched and it’s because capacity has reduced and not usage. One of the issues with that is the increased control and administration to the point of local governments approving line items for these businesses.

[tmaly]

If you cleaned up all the wasteful spending in the US, the government could make childcare affordable.

[ETH_start]

The cost is distributed across the people through taxation.

[theshrike79]

That's how a welfare state operates.

It's long term second-order thinking that people on the right side of the political spectrum tend to lack in my experience.

I pay taxes so other people can afford to have kids, they can stay home and give the kids a stable childhood. Then the kids will go to subsidised childcare (0-250€/month depending on income) and later to school where they have free school lunches and well-paid teachers.

Why? Because I'm getting old and when I retire we need people working and paying taxes so there's money to pay for MY healthcare and pension.

[timcambrant]

Yes, which is great. Everybody pays so no one pays much. No one is poor from paying for other people's daycare.

[toomuchtodo]

The society you exist in, and are enabled to generate income from, is paid for via taxation.

[dagmx]

Okay, and? Being cheaper in total, cheaper to the individual and generally amortized aren’t mutually exclusive.

[palmotea]

> Childcare is much cheaper in other countries, even relative to the lower earning potentials.

Cheaper, or more heavily subsidized? It's an important difference.

For the record: I'm not opposed to subsidies, and think the US need them in a lot more areas (and a lot more government involvement in the economy, in general).

[timcambrant]

It is both subsidized and cheaper but that word sort of implies parents (and especially non-parents) may be worse off in the end, which I think is an unfortunate way of thinking about these subsidies.

Given the cost of health and life insurance, unemployment insurance, paid vacation (4-6 weeks generally), healthcare (I once paid $32 for 5 weeks hospital care), paid parental leave, childcare, school and university, I am confident this more than makes up for the higher taxes. I believe people are calmer when the risk of living is low. No broken leg or depression will set us back financially, and if we have a few too many kids they can all go to college even if we don't earn much. And both parents can work (70% at least) while their kids go to daycare. This is at least an extra 5 years of salary compared to supporting a stay-at-home parent.

It might not be charming to brag about all our advantages, but as a European I really want e.g. Americans to know that there is another way. Life doesn't have to be about chasing money until you can afford to live.

[lawn]

With respect to healthcare it's both cheaper and subsidized.

[bdangubic]

US collects your taxes and then spends it for Dept of War, Corporate Subsidies, Farming Subsidies etc etc....

The rest of the world collects taxes and spends it on their future, education, health, child care...