These guys would get my vote

[jdomaha]

No matter your religious views - churches DO do some good things for the community.... and their daycare is awesome.

Depends entirely on the church. I have been to many churches. My family has been involved with many churches. Almost all churches have their pet projects that they get behind. Most are very concerned with church finances - investing and making more money. Leadership sets the tone and people who crave leadership tend to have nasty personality disorders.

My daughter goes to pre-k at the church. EVERY (and I mean every person dealing with the kids) has been doing it for over 15 years... most almost 30 years. Compare that to the daycares where they are getting paid 8 bucks an hour and aren't much more than kids themselves.

Cost wise - it's cheap as hell. I wouldn't care if it was double or triple the cost, but I'm sure that tax free status the church has helps keep the costs down. It's affordable - and it gives kids a free start WITH OUT your taxes paying for it. Worried about religion being preached? It isn't (*in non-catholic churches*) in the churches we checked out.

(If the churches didn't offer pre-school the government would be doing it - and you would bitch about paying for it since it would sure as shit cost 10 times as much if the gov. run it)

It's cheap as hell because the rest of us are subsidizing church-run daycare through their tax exemptions. They're running a daycare business. Why should it matter if it is being run out of a church or someone's house? Because one structure has a big cross on it and the other doesn't? If I can write off my house or business office I'll throw up a big cross on the front, no problem.

I'm not worried about religion being preached at all. I think anyone should be able to put their kids anywhere. I don't think that there should be government regulation of the daycare industry. Licensing and mandatory certification and so on is just a way for established businesses to reduce competition. It is a parent's responsibility to know exactly what goes on in a daycare/preschool. If you're satisfied with the level of service provided then what does a government license on the wall provide you? Nothing.

If the churches didn't do it then the government would have to? According to whom? How about getting the neighborhood together and rotating days when someone watches the kids? How about using retired family to watch your kids? How about one family member working and the other raising the kids for a few years until they're in school?

Every "community service" the churches do saves you from some liberal turning said service into a government program. Nothing to bitch about.

[/QUOTE]

Lots to bitch about. I don't like financing irresponsibility. Your kids are your problem. Mine are my problem.

 

[stmadeveloper]

Pre-K programs are not just "babysitting". They help kids get ready for kindergarten - and the government is already involved in this area for the folks who can't afford any other options.

It's called head start.

Pajamas Media ‘Head Start’: The $166 Billion Fed Ed Failure

BTW - I don't need anyone to watch my kids. I work from home, and my wife does not work. My daughter is going to pre-k to get her ready for school. 2.5 hours per day 4 times a week is not day care

If the church wasn't there I would pay for a center to do it. However, the teachers are better and it's a better environment at the church.

If you are going to really bitch about churches don't forget all the other not for profits out there. Let's attack the girl scouts for selling cookies, the boy scouts for selling pop-corn, and no more oggling the cheer leaders when they are going car washes.

Then there are all those pesky charities that don't pay taxes, and the organizations like salvation army that actually have stores........