New Orleans     In another prime example of absurdity, Trump recently categorically dismissed the importance of child care.  This was his George Bush the first moment, when that president was clueless in the grocery store aisle about how the world worked for ordinary Americans.  It’s reasonable to assume that Trump is as clueless about what it takes to deal with family issues and children on a daily basis as Bush was about buying his own groceries.

All this came to the forefront when the blurter-in-chief spouted off about day care at an Easter White House gathering, saying to the assembled, “Don’t send money for day care.  We can take care of one thing, military protection.”  This is part of the macho man talk that his defense secretary promotes for war fighters and against the strawman of “woke” mess.

Trump and Hegseth also might be pretending that they don’t know that the military itself has understood for decades that making sure day care works and is properly funded is essential to military preparedness and service readiness.  The current military, rather than the military of their imagination and hype, is not just single men barely out of their teens, but men and a lot of women, including families of service personnel with children.

An op-ed points out that,

…the Department of Defense’s system supports children from 6 weeks through 12 years old in every service. It charges fees based on income, enforces rigorous quality standards and employs trained staff members who are paid decent wages. Its requirements are more demanding than any state’s; over 97 percent of its facilities meet national accreditation criteria, compared with just 9 percent of civilian child care centers.  This system has never been more needed. From 1985 to 2022, the number of active-duty single parents in the military increased 67 percent, and the number of families in which both parents serve in the armed forces more than doubled. Over one-third of active-duty service members are parents. The largest cohort of military children is 5 years old or younger.

Professor Lisa Levenstein added that, “One 2007 study found that for two-thirds of enlisted soldiers, the availability of child care influenced their decisions to stay in the Army.”  Just the facts, ma’am, the military can’t do their jobs without good day care.

Same for civilians, if he’s noticed the popularity of these proposals both nationally and locally, for example in New York City’s recent election.  People can’t work or do their jobs without adequate coverage for their children.  It’s amazing how tone-deaf the administration is to this reality.

The administration claims it wants more children and to turn around the falling birthrate, but derides day care, when its unaffordability is the leading reason younger families and women are giving for NOT having children or waiting longer and longer before having them.  Not to get too personal, but Trump’s serial wives have all benefited from servants and nannies, so what does he know?  In one case after another, it seems nothing.  In another example, work requirements for food stamps and healthcare are now being imposed on lower-income women with young children, while not providing day care.  Staff and funding cutbacks in day care are even hitting military bases.  The hypocrisy and disconnects to real life are everywhere.

These are truths that should be self-evident.  If you want productive and secure citizens, whether workers or soldiers, make sure their children are safe, educated, and happy.