[quote=Rhett]. . . 2. 7:30 – 6:00 is a long day for a kid K-2.[/quote]

True and the caregivers realize this. This is why they get long naps and a couple of snacks (along with breakfast and/or lunch if the caregiver is private). Otherwise at least breakfast is served by the school and the kindergarten child brings a bag lunch. By the time their parent picks them up at ~6:00, they are rested and happy and will wait for dinner to be prepared 🙂

Thousands of parents must have their kids in FT daycare in order to hold down FT jobs that they must commute to. It is a fact of life and there is nothing whatsoever wrong with it. If less of these young parents worked, they would likely be availing themselves of EBT cards, Healthy Families and even TANF in some cases. We can’t fault parents for desiring to support their children legitimately.