Daycare is hard to find and expensive. Boston is looking to help

Child-care issues have gained national traction in recent weeks as at least three candidates for president have raised concerns.

Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff/File/2017

With hundreds of child-care businesses closing and the number of youngsters needing care rising, the city recognizes that affordable, quality care is a holy grail for many parents.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/21/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/ullmann2-26367.png Boston Children?s Hospital researcher killed in climbing accident on Mount Washington

The obituary for Jeremy Felix P. Ullmann, a married 37-year-old father, said the accident occurred on the mountain on Feb. 10.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/21/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/pfosi_170807_commave_07.jpg Mass. still short on transportation funding, report says

The state?s highways, roads, and bridges ? along with the MBTA ? are facing a big funding gap over the next decade, according to a report from a business group.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/11/16/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/houseinthesnow.jpg Map: Snow totals in the Northeast

How much snow fell during Wednesday night?s storm?

Two children killed in three-car crash in Ludlow

The crash claimed the lives of Jadyn Lamas, 9, and his sister Natalya Lamas, 7, both of Ludlow.

FILE- In this Sept. 21, 2018 file photo, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks to news media at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.Democrats are eager to unseat Collins. Critics are still incensed over the prominent centrist's vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and are angry over the government shutdown. They say she has veered to the right and are no longer confident she'll stand up to President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Elise Amendola/Associated Press/File

Senator Susan Collins is feeling the heat

Lately in her home state, the Maine senator is inspiring the kind of liberal animus typically directed at people named Trump.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/21/BostonGlobe.com/National/Images/AFP_1CD99B.jpg Democrats may try to subpoena Mueller report if it?s not made public

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is due to submit conclusions explaining his decisions to prosecute or decline filing charges to new Attorney General William Barr as early as next week.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/12/15/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/121518WiggsPot7.jpg Salem marijuana shop closed to recreational customers until further notice

Customers seeking to buy recreational marijuana products at a Salem dispensary are out of luck for now.

Bishops attend the opening of a sex abuse prevention summit, at the Vatican, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019. The gathering of church leaders from around the globe is taking place amid intense scrutiny of the Catholic Church's record after new allegations of abuse and cover-up last year sparked a credibility crisis for the hierarchy. (Vincenzo Pinto/Pool Photo via AP)

Pope offers 21 proposals to fight abuse at start of summit

Pope Francis opened a landmark sex abuse prevention summit Thursday by offering senior Catholic leaders 21 proposals to punish predators and keep children safe, warning that the faithful are demanding concrete action and not just words.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/21/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/wb2.png West Bridgewater police searching for men who passed counterfeit $100 bills

Authorities believe the duo may have circulated funny money in multiple jurisdictions, officials said.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/01/31/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/ZG_17743.jpg Ayanna Pressley wore glasses, and Twitter approved

The US representative took time away from protesting President Trump?s controversial national emergency to shout out a 9-year-old girl unenthused about her new glasses.

jessica rinaldi/globe staff

Perspective | Magazine

Employers can make Boston traffic more bearable with one simple change

Forget new highways, high-tech street lights, and even gondolas. There are much easier ways to reduce our epic congestion.

Jussie Smollet in a booking photo released by the Chicago Police Department.

'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett faked attack to 'promote his career,? police say

Smollett ?took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career?? when he made a false police report about an attack in Chicago, the city?s police superintendent said.

Duke's Zion Williamson sat on the floor following an injury caused when his shoe split during play.

Twitter users target Nike after basketball star?s shoe splits, leading to injury

Nike became a target of jabs and jokes on social media when Duke University star Zion Williamson sprained a knee midgame because one of his shoes split during play.

Ty Burr

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/21/BostonGlobe.com/Arts/Images/TD-03096R1-v2-5833511.jpg Erase the rat in ?The Departed?? Don?t get me started.

Globe movie critic Ty Burr has been thinking about starting his own campaign to improve the endings of some classic movies. Because, good or bad, art really needs to be crowdsourced.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/21/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/1126334964.jpg Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim struck and killed a man walking on an interstate

The incident happened late Wednesday.

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/13/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/greenhouseKane_s5.jpg Kane?s starts making doughnuts off Route 1 ? next to the Orange Dinosaur

Doors will open to the public next week. But the road here began back in the summer of 2016, at a fund-raiser that auto mogul Ernie Boch was holding in Norwood for his Music Drives Us charity.

Ideas | Marcela García

?Roma? exposes Mexico?s darkest secret

In the age of Trump, American racism and Mexican racism can seem like matter and antimatter. How can both exist at the same time?

Lesley Becker/Globe Staff; Adobe; Globe file photo

Lesley Becker/Globe Staff; Adobe; Globe file photo

Margery Eagan

A refreshing campaign pitch ? the truth about motherhood

Ambitious women, never mind big-time female politicians, don?t typically admit to any corner cutting ? ever ? in mothering.

Opinion | Luke O?Neil

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/01/22/BostonGlobe.com/EditorialOpinion/Images/d12517ae113542bfb6ba03cd01ebdaaa-d12517ae113542bfb6ba03cd01ebdaaa-0.jpg Covington Catholic student may not have set out to become an avatar for Trumpism, but he sure is now

Here is the smirking MAGA teen again, and here is the picture of his face and his face in the hat, and thanks to the lawsuit, he?ll be dragged through the political cycle anew.

KEVIN PAUL DUPONT I ON HOCKEY

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/21/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/690feb051fbf4ec58689d9f3338a9085-690feb051fbf4ec58689d9f3338a9085-0.jpg Acquiring Charlie Coyle a smart move by Bruins

Coyle likely will make his Black and Gold debut Saturday in St. Louis on David Krejci?s right wing.

Love Letters

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/20/BostonGlobe.com/Magazine/Images/Meredith_New_Logo-5206.jpg My fiancé doesn?t know how to be alone

He has to constantly be with people when I am not around, and then I feel excluded.

Newsletters

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2017/12/05/BostonGlobe.com/EditorialOpinion/Images/MichaelCohenNewsletterHP-3632.jpg Truth and Consequences

Opinion columnist Michael Cohen takes a candid and no-holds-barred look at the current political moment. Sign up now.

Love Letters: The Podcast

Season Two: How do you meet someone?

Dating in 2019 is?complicated. Frustrating. Sometimes completely exhilarating. In Season 2 of the podcast, Meredith Goldstein goes deep on one of her most-asked questions.

Listen:   Apple Podcasts   |   Stitcher   |   RadioPublic

 

Special reports

They were the top of their class at Boston public schools. Then life happened

Read a multi-part investigation into how and why the lives of promising Boston valedictorians didn?t quite turn out the way they expected.

The Big Picture

WAEL HAMZEH/EPA/Shutterstock

The Big Picture

Smartphone society

In a world where the smartphone is now ubiquitous, photographers capture daily life in which the personal device is part of the moment.

Real Estate

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/10/09/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/10-beechwood-road-halifax-exterior-side-1024x576$medium-9070.jpg Are we ignoring ? or outright banning ? an easy affordable-housing fix?

Mobile homes may be the least expensive and most effective means of addressing the region?s housing shortage.

STAT

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2019/02/21/BostonGlobe.com/National/Images/CEOs_02-1024x576.jpg Meet the executives who will defend pharma before Congress

One?s a college dropout. One?s a self-proclaimed street fighter. And one survived a presidential tweetstorm.

Podcasts