"The government's proper role in child care is none at all."PA

"The government's role in child-care should be limited to a bare minimum because the children belong to the parents, not the government."MI

"Direct interaction in the child care industry by the government would only infringe upon Americans' privacy, while driving overall child care costs even higher." OR

". . .it is not the government's job to control our home and family life. The government should not have a say in family matters unless abuse is involved. It is the parents' job to take care of their child and to decide what is best for them as a family. If they feel that their . . .children are safe at a day care center or with a baby sitter, then that is their choice, not the government's role. Child care does need improvement, but it will be up to individuals and families to make the problem better." OK

"In this day and age, how could anyone sit idle and let the future of our children be run by our government? Therefore, the United States government shouldn't play a vital role in the regulation of child care nor should it create a national child care system." AL

"It is the responsibility of the parents to fund and provide the proper child care for their own children. This should not be the government's responsibility." CA

"The entire world, including the United States, can avoid the misfortunes that the Soviets encountered by not attempting to provide costly services such as child-care directly to its people. . .To avoid misfortune, the U. S. must step away from being the provider and become more of a facilitator." MI

"It is the parents job to take care of their children, not the governments. I don't think people that are taking care of their own children, or don't have any children, should pay for people who can't afford to pay for their (own) children. Because the parents, or anyone who loves the children, will have a much greater influence on those children's lives than the government will. If you have kids and you can't provide for them you should have thought about that before you had kids." NE

"Our government is faced with too many problems that it is unable to handle, like economic recession or illiteracy or drug abuse. Taxes are sky high, employment rates have hit rock bottom and needed shelter is inaccessible. Now is not the time for government ideals on child care. As Representative Clyde Holloway so eloquently put it, "The only thing worse than a bad idea is an expensive bad idea.' Child care legislation would be an expensive, bad idea." OR

"Government involvement in child care should consist of the following: 1)defining and demostrating the great need for positive, responsible child care; 2) setting standards for an adequate and efficient system and 3)improving the child care plans that have been instituted to date, relative to welfare and enforcement of child support laws. Responsibility for the physical implementation and setting up of child care facilities, on the other hand, should rest in the hands of communities and the private sector." OH

"I feel that the government should never have to provide one hundred percent of the cost. This will lead to a system similar to welfare for the unemployed, which leaves many jobless people with no incentive to find a job. Likewise, why attempt to pay for my child's care when the government will do it for me? This is a problem to avoid." NE

"Many times government intervention is useless and costly. Government programs are usually good in theory, but the end results are an embarrassment to our system. . .We don't need poor day care in this country." MI

"The government should have a role only when there is reason to believe that something is wrong. Parents are the ones who decide how they want their children to be brought up, not the government." WI

"Hopefully these deductions will eliminate the need for federal regulations on child care. By allowing the families to keep this money to use for child care, the government is giving the power back to the people, where it belongs. For these reasons, I believe that the government should decline involvement in child care policies." FL

"If a husband and wife have to both work to make ends meet, they should either be able to afford a good day care center on their own, or not have any children until they can afford it. The government has no place in child care." NE

". . .the largest effect of government subsidies is to lower the quality of workmanship. This, though, is not the only reason government should not pay for any portion of child care. Free child care will reduce the financial burden of a child on the family. This, in turn, will lead to an increased birth rate, aggravating an already grievious problem of overpopulation in many U.S. cities." CA

"Some government involvement in the child care issue is necessary to prevent mistreatment of women in the work force and to prevent sexist hiring practices. Protective laws and regulations are needed for child care providers as well. But child care and having children are personal matters and the government should not make personal decisions for parents regarding the care of their children."OR

"I believe it is the parent's duty to care for their child. If a couple decides to have kids they should be planning for their child's future, and they should know if they can or cannot support a baby. I believe child care should come from the home and let the government deal with problems such as war, the economy and taxes." NE

"Funding of child care would require close monitoring and watching. Today's government just does not have the time or money to add on that responsibility. Our government has many other things to fund and worry about, therefore they do not need to take on another issue like child care. Even though there are recent bills in favor of government support, it is in the best interest of everyone if they are not passed." OH

"They should not create a federal program because, as shown in the past, government programs have gotten way out of hand both in spending and in growth. . .As the system of capitalism displays, if the demand is great enough, the supply will also increase to meet that demand. The U.S. government should not get involved." AZ

"However, by regulating the day care market, the government would discourage individualistic programs which offer an alternative to normal child care services. Every child care center would be forced to work under strict guidelines, thus creating a stagnant, non competitive market." OR

"The reason most young teens do not have children is the financial problem. . . government paying for child-care ( would make it) too easy. " MD

"The less the government gets involved with child care, the less problems it will create."OH

"I have found through my research, that although our society needs child care, the U.S. government should have no involvement regarding child care. Government involvement would not only raise the cost of child care, but it would also affect the quality of the care provided. . .The President's proposal also ensures child support to divorced mothers. Unfortunately this may encourage some poor families to split up." FL

"I really think that the government should have nothing to do with day care mainly because it's the parents' responsibility. . .I don't think the government should endorse these centers. I think the government should encourage taking care of the kids at home." NE

"The government's role concerning child-care is a controversial issue. There are so many people with different religious beliefs, moral vlaues, and opinions that it is difficult to agree; I believe that the role of the government should be limited as much as possible in every given situation." OR

"It is the responsibility of the family, not government! Therefore, the government should not have a role nor take any actions in spending our tax dollars on this issue. The parents have the responsibility to take care of their children. If they relinquish this responsibility, or the government allows them to, then our reputation for self sufficiency is weakened and could prove detrimental to our future." OH

"In seeking to regulate yet another facet of life, the American government appears to be heading down the 'yellow brick road' toward the 'emerald city' of socialism and socialization where every person gets every need fulfilled at no direct cost to the individual."SD

". . .if the child care bill is passed, a revolt in the middle class will emerge for two reasons. The first reason is the 20% tax credit for child care expenses which they now have will be restricted. The second reason is the families that are well off will have to pay taxes on companies that provide day care centers." TX

"But I can't see how anyone could like the idea that the government wants to control how someone brings up their children. If the rest of the world wants to be controlled, then that's fine, but not me! I'm raising my kids the way I want to and not how the government says to." AL

"As you can see, no matter if you are a working parent or not, your children are you're responsibility. They are dependent upon you for care, discipline, material goods, and education. No one else should provide these things. It is up to YOU." NE

"If the government does establish a national child-care agency for working parents, using it might be a tough decision for parents to face. For if the government is still following its unsuccessful tradition of doing things, parents will risk enrolling their children in an understaffed and underbudgeted program. Maybe parents will decide that the health and welfare of their child is too important to leave to another and will manage somehow to live off just one income."OR

"Government is already too involved in the citizens' daily lives and should not become further involved through child care."OH

"People other than parents are going to have to teach America's children the norms of today's society, and instill values into them. . .The American government should be responsible for developing these changes and implementing them." MI

"If the leaders of this country hope to curb the violence, drug addiction and moral decay of this country then it must assume some responsibility for the care of it's young citizens." VA

"If government takes any action at all, it should be to preserve the family setting, not promote deterioration."AZ

"Even though people look to the federal government in times of hardship, our government should not be held accountable for inadequate family planning, economic shortcomings, and failing family life."OR

". . .it won't be long before the government may try to reach inside the home and control the children there. . . I think today's parents should care for their own children, instead of leaving them with trusted strangers and under governmental regulations that they wouldn't have to follow at home." NE

"America is a nation of free-enterprise, wanting as little government interference as possible. The scales of the government not interfering outweighs the scale of government interference." AL

"No thank you, Uncle Sam. We can and should take care of child-care ourselves." OK