1/ Let's call it like it is. The push to reopen schools is about providing childcare so parents can go back to work. Schools are not daycares. The U.S. is an anomaly among developed nations in not subsidizing childcare.

2/ During WWII the federal government funded high-quality, government-run child care centers so women could work as part of the war effort. These centers provided vaccinations/routine health care & even assisted moms with grocery shopping. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/07/23/we-have-a-childcare-crisis-in-this-country-we-had-the-solution-78-years-ago/

3/ Universal child care had strong bipartisan support when it was proposed in the Comprehensive Childhood Development Act of 1972. But Nixon adviser Pat Buchanan said that federally subsidized daycare would weaken families. Nixon vetoed the act. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1971/12/10/90705630.html?pageNumber=1

4/ Why opposition to govt-subsidized childcare? The belief that women should be in the home caring for their kids, not in the workforce. The reality is that 93% of dads & 72% of moms with kids at home are in the labor force. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/15/upshot/why-americans-resist-child-care.html

5/ THE COST OF CHILDCARE IN THE US IS TOO DAMN HIGH. In more than half of the states, the cost of child care exceeds public university tuition. https://www.epi.org/child-care-costs-in-the-united-states/ Can the U.S. afford not to adequately care for its children? https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/11/why-child-care-so-expensive/602599/

6/ There are ways to safely provide kids childcare without reopening schools. NYC's regional enrichment centers are one example. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enrollment-help/regional-enrichment-centers Adult supervision. Kids wear masks & are physically distanced. Remote learning. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/20/us/child-care-for-essential-workers-lessons-wellness/index.html

7/ Let's keep our kids, teachers, and parents safe and healthy.