You're moving the goalposts. A child's own mother will always provide cheaper and higher quality childcare than a disinterested third party, regardless of the sorry state of our economy.
Cheaper is very much not true if you value time. Devoting the entire workday of an adult to 1-3 children is a huge cost, much more expensive than having one adult handle 6-10 children.
And "higher quality" isn't guaranteed at all. Even with daycare the children are with their parents most of the time, and meeting up with other kids and a trained caregiver during weekdays has a lot of good effects.
And "higher quality" isn't guaranteed at all. Even with daycare the children are with their parents most of the time, and meeting up with other kids and a trained caregiver during weekdays has a lot of good effects.