I mean, living in a garbage dump is possible, millions of of people do it around the world.

The problem as a country you are doing to disappear demographically if you're choices are near suffering versus having kids.

It's possible, but if you do it in a developed country they'd take you to jail. Just like the law imposed a minimum wage, it also imposed a mandatory minimum standard of living.

Implied in their comment is that they don’t want to be homeless and hungry, which I think is a fair prerequisite before having children.

The parents at my kid’s daycare were in their late twenties / early thirties, had professional degrees (lawyers, physicians, tech) and only one kid in the daycare.

[edit to add this: I am talking from experience, it seems you are talking from hearsay]