The demographic problem isn't exclusive to capitalism. This is
extremely obvious, but there's a great example of enforced negative net population growth looking grim:
https://seekingalpha.com/article/416...onomic-outlook
(Note: I remain somewhat sinophilic about the future because I think the above is an automation accelerant, as is the China 2025 initiative)
I agree with Steve, Quebec, and by extension Gordon, that better childcare (I'm a vouchers guy myself, but whatever) leads to better utilization of human capital, which will be increasingly important in the context of a demographic crunch.
I don't necessarily see the reason for the middle man pejorative. I actually prefer our daycare (though it's on the high end of the expense scale) to family care (we have 4 local grandparents) in most cases. They're better trained and better prepared in most cases, and crucially,
we pay them to do a good job. A nanny actually becomes a reasonable proposition on a cost basis at only 2 kids requiring care, and that would be better still.
Your species would have to be pretty bitchass for this particular problem to result in extinction. I don't think you're going to have any real problem with birthrates, because having kids is actually amazingly fulfilling, which is why people are willing to pay high economic and opportunity costs in the first place.
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Reducing the population* is the best possible thing we could do for our planet and species.
*not to zero, don't @ me.