It really comes down to the ratio. Our state has a 4-1 ratio for infants (which is entirely reasonable). You are basically paying for 1/4 of a person's time. If you want to put them into a daycare where the worker is adequately paid, that's $6000 a year alone, let alone overhead costs for facilities/admin.
No matter who pays for it, raising children is time consuming. And time is becoming more valuable.
No matter who pays for it, raising children is time consuming. And time is becoming more valuable.