Report on Child Care

Re “Child-Care Report Stirs Emotions,” April 20: The U.S. lags far behind the rest of the developed world in providing maternity leave for new mothers. Does anyone really think that six weeks is long enough for either mother or child?

Instead of making working mothers feel guilty for what is effectively a nonchoice, how about allowing them the real option of being home with their babies?

ROBIN FARROW

Tujunga

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The conclusions drawn from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study of toddlers in child care appear weighted to bolster a preconceived conclusion that stay-at-home motherhood is the sine qua non of well-adjusted childhood. If one factors in the finding of improved scholastic ability in the children who attended high-quality child care, then the more logical interpretation of observed behavior problems in kindergarten would be that these children simply are bored by a school curriculum that is below their advanced abilities.

KENNETH H. GOLDMAN

La Crescenta

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Isn’t it interesting that with all the “it takes a village” rhetoric and day-care centers, it is now shown that increasing the time in day care for a child increases his socialization problems? More and more it is coming home to roost that the social engineers have gotten it wrong and, amazingly, that which worked for centuries wasn’t outdated or broken and didn’t have to be fixed. Now, maybe if the tax cuts go through, parents won’t need two incomes to care for their children and we will all be better off.

BARRY LEVY

Redondo Beach