A conversation with Joe Waters, co-founder of Capita, about caring for children

Fix Childcare by Carefully

June 2, 2023

Joe Waters. Photo by Je'nine May

Joe Waters has spent his career helping children access the most basic human needs: education, health, stability, security, dignity, and community. In 2018, he co-founded Capita, a think tank that explores how the social, cultural, and environmental changes around us affect families, and how new policies and programs can help all people flourish. His initiatives aim to improve the lives of our youngest children, boost social connection, and help parents feel less alone. Here he discusses why today’s childcare system is “inhumane,” what needs to change, and why trust is the lynchpin of future success.

CAREFULLY: Capita works across many goals, sectors, and populations. Drill it down for us—what’s at the heart of your work?

JOE WATERS: At Capita, our goal is to maximize the conditions for human flourishing by focusing on the earliest years of human life, which is where the foundations for flourishing are laid.

What exactly do you mean by “flourishing?”

At Capita, we understand a life of flourishing to be that which allows individuals and communities to imagine and become what they wish to be with passion, purpose, and excellence.

Economic security is the baseline for human flourishing. But don’t assume economic security is the only thing required for human flourishing. We need children to be cared for! We learned that during the pandemic. Aside from its obvious economic benefits, work has a dignity all its own and is part of human flourishing. So is taking care of our children, trusting the people who take care of them when we’re working, and knowing that their lives are frankly more humane because they’re paid a living wage.

“Few things make parents feel more vulnerable than handing their children over to a stranger for care.”