I had a thought.
Say, in a world where mothers pay for themselves:
- Two child carers care for about 10 children 8h per day. Commuting to work an back, 10 single mothers work 7h or less. They need enough income to pay 8×2=16h pretty educated child care.
- In a sustained scenario, each mother has 2.1 children. Because now for 10 children 5 mothers are paying, the earnings available shrink down to 3.5h per mother.
- Mothers usually step down on their career ladder. 3.5h pre-child job turns into some job worth 3.2h.
- Half of their income pays the rent.
So, caring for 10 children, there is less than 1.6h times 10 remaining to pay/earn for 16h of child care.
Doesn't that mean that women who earn less than a child carer are better off caring for their children themselves? Are female child carers better off keeping their job and *not* become mothers themselves? Shouldn't mothers who earn more, pay them more?