Stop Calling Universal Child Care a Win. Here’s the Real Cost.
Universal child care is touted as a fiscal victory, paying for itself through mothers’ increased taxable income. But this beautiful balance sheet hides a dark human cost: developmental risks and an intergenerational zero-sum trade-off. The state’s economic interest aligns with mothers’ careers but conflicts with children’s wellbeing. We aren’t investing in mothers; we’re outsourcing the raising of the next generation because government budgets can’t measure human value.