I agree with Joan Beck’s Oct. 26 Op-Ed column that we don’t need a “nanny state,” i.e., more day care for children. We do need to put our money where our mouth is.
We say we are a “child-oriented society.” If we were, we would have corporate policies that encourage mothers to stay home with their children in the crucial first three years without penalizing those women by destroying their opportunities for advancement when they return to work.
When men were subject to the draft, employers were required not only to guarantee an equivalent job upon one’s return but also seniority, in pay and career ladder position, equal to the number of years served. This showed the U.S. commitment to national defense.
If we were truly a child-oriented society, we would have the same policy for mothers who choose to stay home. Company-sponsored child care is not enough. For maximum brain development, a child needs a great deal of sensory and mental stimulation–only available in a one-on-one relationship with someone devoted to that child.
