Soft Secession Policy: Lanham Act 2.0

The United States has already done universal childcare. We did it eighty years ago, it worked, and then Congress killed it.

During World War II, the federal government funded childcare centers so women could work in factories. At its peak in July 1944, 3,102 federally subsidized centers enrolled 130,000 children in all but one state; by the end of the war, between 550,000 and 600,000 children had received care through the program.

Parents paid 50 to 75 cents per day, less than $12 in today's dollars. Most centers operated from 7am to 6pm, provided all meals, and ran year-round. The Kaiser Shipyards facilities placed centers right at the factory entrance so parents could drop off and pick up children on their way to and from shifts. Each center employed teachers, a nurse, a dietician, and a social worker; parents could even pick up hot dinners to take home.

It worked. Research found that children who went through the program had higher graduation rates, higher college completion rates, and higher employment decades later.

Then Congress ended the program to push women out of the workforce and give their jobs to returning men. A program that worked, that parents relied on, that produced measurable benefits for decades afterward, killed because it had served its purpose: winning the war.

New Mexico proved we can do this. In November 2025, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham made New Mexico the first state in the nation to offer universal free childcare, saving families an average of $12,000 per child annually. Even if you are not a New Mexico constituent, send her a thank you at governor.state.nm.us/co…. Tell her she set the example you want your representatives to follow.

Call your state representative. Email them. Tag them on social media. Schedule a meeting at their district office and bring this article with you. Tell them you want a Lanham Act 2.0 in your state.

Grab the full Soft Secession: Policies That Pass booklet and the EARR Notebook on how to make it happen, both free at buymeacoffee.com/TheER.

(Image from Gordon Parks / Library of Congress / The Crowley Company)