One of the biggest crises for working families in America is the lack of affordable, quality child care. The choices available are few and often very exclusive (I hear rumors of people having to give stock tips to day care owners to get their kids in) and/or very expensive.

My wife and I were lucky. We got our son into the Berkeley Carroll child care center. Berkeley Carroll child care is far from cheap, but they provide all day care so both my wife and I can work full days, so it is worth it. They offer first come-first serve sign ups for new applicants, so it is as egalitarian as you can get given the price. This means there is a wide variety of children who attend from all over the city. The quality of care is exemplary. Parents are encouraged to be involved and are listened to (message to Bloomberg: successful schools listen to the parents!). Children are happy and learn at an amazing rate. My only complaint is the price but you get what you pay for, so even there it isn't really a complaint.