Yes, The Children's House may cost more than the parents' college did. See NYT: Child Care Costs More Than College
But, as reported in the CS Monitor: Why kindergarten is key to financial success in life and other studies indicate the importance of the first six years in a child's life in getting them on the right footing for later in life.
So I have no problem putting resources into child care as I want my kids to be with a professional staff in an environment tailored to their own self-discovery.
