To the editors:
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Children in quality child-care programs–the kind available to upper-income families but not to those on welfare–do as well on most measures of social adjustment and development as children whose mothers are at home full time. Susan Faludi reports on the relevant studies in her book Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women, and concludes by noting, “Social scientists could supply plenty of research to show that one member of the American family . . . is happier and more well-adjusted when mom stays home and minds the children. But that person is dad . . . ”
Kelly Kleiman
And neither do I. My point was to highlight an irony: it is politically correct for poor parents to stay home with their young children, but not for middle-income parents to do the same thing. Unfortunately, in some circles it is even politically incorrect to suggest that some people would choose to raise their own children rather than pay someone else to do so.
