Most Voters Say Home Is Best for Raising Children

Publication Date: 04/10/2026 5:46 AM CST

Most Voters Say Home Is Best for Raising Children

Publication: 04/10/2026 5:46 AM CST

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A large majority (72%) of registered voters say that it's better for children to be raised at home rather than at a daycare.
- Only 11% say daycare is better, and 17% are not sure.
- The two main parties are fairly aligned, as 78% of Republicans and 70% of Democrats agree that it's better to raise children at home.
- A majority (58%) of Independents also say home is better, but 26% are not sure.
A plurality (31%) of voters says that the state and local governments should be responsible for providing daycare for lower-income and middle-income families (since for single parents and in families where both parents work, daycare is often considered essential).
- A quarter (23%) says that the federal government should provide the daycare.
- Twenty percent (20%) say that family and friends should help provide daycare services for single parents and families where both parents work.
- Just 8% say private and charitable organizations should be responsible for daycare.
- Still 17% are not sure about this conundrum.
- Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Democrats say the federal government should be responsible, but 28% of Republicans say family and friends should provide the daycare.
A plurality (46%) of voters says churches and other organizations who provide daycare services and keep costs down by relying upon volunteers should be allowed to operate.
- Another 42% say all daycare centers should be required to rely upon trained professionals.
- Interestingly, 59% of postgraduates say that volunteer-run daycare services should be allowed to operate.
According to 36% of voters, parents should decide the appropriate standards for daycare coverage.
- Others say that the federal government (16%) or state and local governments (34%) should decide.
- More Republicans (46%) say parents should decide the standards. Another 29% of Republicans say the state and local governments should decide.
- Forty percent (40%) of Democrats say daycare standards decisions should be left to the state and local governments, while another 28% say parents should decide.

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, April 6-7, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.