Try this for size - child care and unemployment

I've been musing, but haven't bothered yet to try some sums on it.

Listening to the R5L phone in this morning, it struck me that quite a number of people blame child care issues for not being able to take available jobs.

This goes against the grain a bit as far as feelings about the public sector goes, but.....

why not put public funding into child care centres and support, and take away that excuse?

Costs:
Wages for the childcare staff
Infrastructure costs

Gains:
Less paid out in benefits for out of work mothers
Possible taxes collected from the now in work mothers
Jobs created for the childcare staff

Seems to me that the ratio of childcare staff to children would be less than 1:1, so the net effect would more unemployed back to work than childcare staff funded.

Well?