US Almost Had Universal Childcare

Maybe I’m just ignorant, but I didn’t know this (and still can’t quite believe it!) so I thought I’d pass it on. In 1971, both houses of Congress passed the Comprehensive Child Development Act, which would have provided federal funding for locally administered childcare centers throughout the country. Childcare would be free for the poor, and there would be a sliding scale for those with more money. The act also included prenatal care for poor women and after-school care for older children. Nixon, fearing a right-wing primary challenge, vetoed it. The Senate came just 7 votes short of overriding the veto. (Got all this from Douglas and Michaels, _The Mommy Myth_.) Useful for those teaching moments when students insist that universal childcare is simply inconceivable for America.