My professional society's Women-In-Science group is conducting a survey on childcare.
I have just done the research for Snooty U and I am, frankly, appalled. The ratio of eligible parent-type persons to available University-run childcare slots is roughly 100:1. No-one else subsidizes in any way, unless you're really really poor.
If we were blessed with an accidental squirrel, it would cost 20% of our combined gross income to put the kid in daycare. From 8 to 5. One of us staying home would a) drive someone insane from boredom, b) put our income at 150% of the federal poverty line, and c) qualify us for WIC and free state-run health insurance. Eeeee.
"Does the cost and availability of childcare affect your decisions to have children and/or the jobs you will take or have taken?" Ah, that would be YES.
[Another round of Ask-A-Scientist below.]
