Comparing raising children to receiving healthcare is absurd. Raising children is an instinct that's hardwired in each of us. Administering healthcare as we do today is a modern technical skill specific to a particular time and place.
Regarding your last comment about people not having kids because it's too expensive, while that may be a popular thing to say it's 100% false. As individuals and societies become wealthier they have fewer kids not more. The poorest places have the highest birth rates and that's true both within and and between countries. People are free to have as many or as few kids as they like, but it's silly to argue that money is a barrier when we are living in the wealthiest era in human history. Why are people having fewer kids? Who knows, but my guess is that it probably has something to do with historically high levels of access to birth reliable birth control and the decreased importance that most folks place on having large families. Those aren't necessarily bad things, they're just historical outliers.
> People are free to have as many or as few kids as they like, but it's silly to argue that money is a barrier when we are living in the wealthiest era in human history.
Around where I live two types of housing are being built:
1. million dollar+ McMansions.
2. Tiny 1 or maybe 2 bedroom apartments for rent.
Of course there is existing housing stock, for around $600k-$800k for a house that is good for raising a family in.
My friends with kids are dumping 10-25k into education, and the ones with younger kids also have to factor in child care.
So, sure, for dual income families earning 300k a year[1], it has never been a better time to have kids.
I'm not going to argue that higher income countries have less kids, of course they do, the higher % chance kids survive the less need there is to have a lot of kids.
But I honestly wonder if people are having as many kids as they want to if economics weren't an issue.
[1]This is not even an exaggeration, for people living in major coastal metros, the quality of life trade-off is either drive 1h to 1.5hrs and have affordable housing, or have a commute that allows for a life and not be able to afford housing that would allow for kids. Those being the two choices society presents is 5 types of bullshit.
>Raising children is an instinct that's hardwired in each of us. Administering healthcare as we do today is a modern technical skill specific to a particular time and place.
After hearing stories from my wife, who works at a daycare, I believe the crappy pay for childcare professionals is holding down the skill level. If a childcare worker can learn the basics of childhoold developmental psychology, education, and some medical techniques, then what's stopping them from just getting a more profitable college degree? Some people with bachelor's degrees come in, but they don't stay long.
Only after working in childcare for 16 years did she land at an employer who required all workers to pass a decent certification course at a community college. If daycares paid better, they might retain skilled workers.
Regarding your last comment about people not having kids because it's too expensive, while that may be a popular thing to say it's 100% false. As individuals and societies become wealthier they have fewer kids not more. The poorest places have the highest birth rates and that's true both within and and between countries. People are free to have as many or as few kids as they like, but it's silly to argue that money is a barrier when we are living in the wealthiest era in human history. Why are people having fewer kids? Who knows, but my guess is that it probably has something to do with historically high levels of access to birth reliable birth control and the decreased importance that most folks place on having large families. Those aren't necessarily bad things, they're just historical outliers.