MediaWatch: May 3, 1999
Table of Contents:
French Day Care Touted
U.S. Solution: Elect Hillary
Those concerned with the "crisis" in childcare found a sympathetic ear for their liberal solutions on ABC’s Good Morning America. The entire 8am half-hour block on April 20 was spent on childcare, starting with a preview for a left-leaning documentary on Lifetime Television, "Confronting the Crisis: Childcare in America." During this time, host Charlie Gibson offered an unchallenged platform to actress Lee Grant, the special’s director, and actress Kyra Sedgwick, its host.
Gibson outlined the supposed crisis: "Nearly two-thirds of mothers with children under age six work outside the home..it’s a startling statistic, and it makes childcare an unrelenting worry that is pushing many parents to the brink, emotionally and financially."
Sedgwick lamented, "I felt so terribly sad that we in America, we’re constantly talking about how children are our future," yet "we don’t put them first, and it’s not a priority and there’s no help in this area for most parents."
Without objection, Gibson offered Grant an easy opening for her next topic: "What’s the solution to all this? Is there a country that’s found a way out of this?" And off went Grant, extolling the government-run system in socialist France. Grant outlined how "the corporations and the government pay higher taxes for this, but their philosophy is that a well-educated child is a civilized adult,.and this is the way I think we have to approach it."
Gibson related his struggles to find childcare 25 years ago for his daughter, adding: "I kept thinking if a politician would just run on the issue of day care, and maybe throw in education, a politician would win, if they could come up with a solution. The problem is, what’s the solution?"
Sedgwick shared her solution: "I think we should vote for people who are, obviously, going to do something about this issue. I mean, hopefully, Hillary’s gonna make her bid in this area." Gibson broke out laughing, exclaiming: "Little plug, little plug from a New York resident who’s looking for a Senate candidate. I see." Sedgwick continued: "I’m going to do my part in voting, that’s the only thing I really can do."
But perhaps it would be even more helpful to fix the problem of government regulations making whatever problem exists worse by raising the costs and hassles that neighbors, churches and synagogues must overcome before kids can be in their care.
That issue was never considered.
