Readers of this blog will remember that I strongly oppose the Sanders plan for free public college because: (1) college is not a necessity in the same way that, say, health care is; (2) there is no obviously good reason for workers who do not attend college to pay to subsidize the education of children of upper-middle class parents; (3) college typically (although not always these days) is a prudent financial investment that logically can be funded by loans; and (4) it would be legally impossible for the federal government to dictate terms to the states, who actually own and operate public colleges.
The Warren day care plan appears to be of roughly the same magnitude as the Sanders plan–is it equally objectionable? No, because: (1) the subsidies are going to the people who need them; (2) I don’t think there is such a thing as a loan for day care; (3) it would help children as well as the parents; (4) by all accounts, affordable day care is a huge problem for tens of millions of working Americans; and (5) it would help grow the economy by making it possible for more women to work.
I don’t know if this plan will work in its entirety, but it is definitely worth a serious discussion.