It's worse than that, though. Expecting someone who has no emotional or future investment in those children, to do all the thankless work of cleaning up after them, wiping butts and noses, etc. *and* paying them poorly for it... does not attract quality labor, and frankly invites abuse. The occasional reports of ill-treatment by daycare workers are not surprising-- what's surprising is that you're not hearing about it every day. I spent a lot of time in before- and after-school care, and remember the ladies in charge of that as very brittle and grumpy... and is that any wonder? Fortunately, they were responsible and did their jobs, and nobody got hurt. But I think that was a pretty normal daycare environment: loud, chaotic, and overseen by tired women who'd had about enough of small children. Even where it isn't abusive, that's not exactly healthy for anybody involved.

Total polar opposite of when I'd go spend a month with my grandma in the summers. She was old and couldn't keep up, but she liked me, wasn't cranky, left me largely to my own devices (the gift of quiet and boredom!), and would show me how to do stuff if I asked-- she taught me to crochet, embroider, read a pattern, use a sewing machine, face a collar, hem a skirt, make paper dolls, cut snowflakes... all the cool stuff my mom didn't have time for. She was a lousy cook, but in all other respects, I think she had the "etheric work" thing nailed down. The house was always pleasant.