If Babysitting Were Illegal: The Hidden Cost of Criminalizing Care episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 22, 2026 · 8 MIN

If Babysitting Were Illegal: The Hidden Cost of Criminalizing Care

from SWOP Behind Bars Advocacy from the Margins · host Swopbehindbars

This episode uses a thought experiment to show how criminalizing the demand for babysitting would not end the work but push it underground, making it less safe and less visible. It explains how banning hiring, advertising, and platforms destroys the infrastructure that helps screen caregivers, build reputations, and keep children safe. By comparing this to sex work criminalization, the episode argues that targeting one side of consensual labor creates more harm than protection and urges better policy solutions that improve labor conditions and safety.

This episode uses a thought experiment to show how criminalizing the demand for babysitting would not end the work but push it underground, making it less safe and less visible. It explains how banning hiring, advertising, and platforms destroys the infrastructure that helps screen caregivers, build reputations, and keep children safe. By comparing this to sex work criminalization, the episode argues that targeting one side of consensual labor creates more harm than protection and urges better policy solutions that improve labor conditions and safety.

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If Babysitting Were Illegal: The Hidden Cost of Criminalizing Care

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How long is this episode of SWOP Behind Bars Advocacy from the Margins?

This episode is 8 minutes long.

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This episode was published on April 22, 2026.

What is this episode about?

This episode uses a thought experiment to show how criminalizing the demand for babysitting would not end the work but push it underground, making it less safe and less visible. It explains how banning hiring, advertising, and platforms destroys the...

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Yes, a full transcript is available for this episode. You can read the complete transcript on the episode page.

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