Ms Jack
I'm wondering how many of these children who are in daycare 10 hours a day are the children of single mothers, and how many of these single mothers are supporting their children all by themselves because the father has abandoned them.
There are perhaps 4 types of childcare programs available for use by parents in need of care for their child.
1. Licensed center
2. Licensed in home
3. Care provided by family member or 4. Unlicensed in home
Under the heading of "Licensed center" there are also a number of types and styles of programs. Licensed in home, typically serves a variety of age ranges from infants to school agers. Unlicensed programs are totally legal so long as they abide by certain restrictions. Parents choose Unlicensed and family provided care for the simple fact that they cost less.
That said, the number of hours that a child may stay in licensed childcare as per state statutes, varies according to age.
Taking the child who is eligible for 10 hours per day. Look at the list I made once more. I made it in a specific order. When the economy tanks or the parent is otherwise economically challenged, their choices for childcare options follow that pattern from top to bottom.
Single parent mothers and fathers who are employed (such as Jack noted), typically receive assistance provided by the state for the cost of childcare. That is to say, depending on the situation, all or part of the cost of childcare is paid for by the state.
I don't have any stats at hand to support Jack's assumption however, I can think of two ways that she is likely correct. The child of the single parent is the victim of an absentee second parent (usually the father) or the single parent mother is still in a relationship with the bio dad and they are concealing the relationship for the purpose of receiving state funding for the cost of childcare and other types of state and federal benefits such as healthcare.
Surely, the single parents whose children are in childcare for 10 hours per day do have choices, however, there are circumstances of total abandonment wherein the only option is for the single parent to work and leave their child in a childcare program.
The issue isn't as black or white as why me would wish to portray it.
Hope that helps.