Norway has an excellent subsidized preschool program. It is called it kindergarten here, but is for children age 1-5. Children start public school at age 6 and

Norway has an excellent subsidized preschool program. It is called it kindergarten here, but is for children age 1-5. Children start public school at age 6 and most parents have paid leave for one parent or the other for a child aged 0-1. The kindergarten prices are based on a sliding scale (with a maximum fee), so even a single mother with a relatively low paying job can afford it and rich people don't pay absurd amounts either. The result is that almost all parents work, it is frowned upon to be a "stay at home mom," and single mothers do not struggle so terribly, like in the US where there is very little childcare support. The other result is that Norway is one of the few countries in Europe with a positive growth rate (not even counting immigration). One could argue that the other factors like paid maternity/paternity leave help, but the affordable child care seems much more important to most parents I know here.