Your phrasing betrays your bias.

Having kids in childcare is not the downfall of society, and in some ways is similar to The Way Things Used To Be. My youngest goes to pre-school childcare where he gets to interact with kids and parents from his local community whom we see outside of childcare as well. He sees his “teacher” when he walks with me and his older brother to his school because her daughter goes to the same school as his brother. The people who work there are part of the community as well.

Childcare can be the modern form of the village collectively caring for the children so that not every parent is busy with child-rearing all the time.

It’s also good for kids to spend time interacting with people who aren’t part of their immediate family.

Not every childcare program is created equal, but there is a place and need for good ones.

Not once has it ever felt like “dumping him in an institution”. Your kids do not need you 100% of the time, and usually it’s better they’re not with you 100% of the time.