It may be vaguely educational daycare, but it's the tool that our society has developed that permits one or both parents to have jobs or careers. As you say, taking that away hurts the poorest the hardest (and rich and powerful, not at all. Ask Gavin Newsom how much disruption his kids experienced). As a side note, it's becoming increasingly well-known that one of the side-effects of Covid control polices is a large reduction in the position of women in the workplace.

Also - while what you say may be true, and there may be some merit to a lifestyle that does not depend on such "daycare", such a lifestyle was also not possible under lockdowns.

https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/insights/economy/impact-of-c...