I tend to believe that a lot of these parents don’t view it as an “educational investment” like many do, and consequently fall down on their responsibilities to make sure their kids are prepared for school.
Which would be fine, if it was in a vacuum. You don’t want your kids to be well educated? You reap what you sow.
The problem is that it’s NOT in a vacuum. These parents not doing what they’re supposed to affects their classmates, their teachers, their school, and society at large. Those kids are largely behind, and cost extra money, time, and effort to bring UP to where they need to be. Those are finite resources that could honestly be better spent on other things, if only their parents weren’t incompetent.
Stuff like preschool for all is probably one solution, but it’s more finite resources taken away from other uses, when the actual problem is poor parenting.
I thought you would answer along those lines. Well, we live in different worlds. Be it as it may, parenting does not require a license as per the OP, so neither does bad parenting. How could you impose a fine? I won’t be the judge, although I have a very private opinion* which I will keep to myself.
* An opinion on bad parents and on judging them.
Education is itself mandated by law. Irrespective of bad parenting leading to substandard pre-school learning, you’re required to either send your kids to school or provide them with home schooling that meets certain educational standards. So I would say that’s yet another aspect of raising kids that is not “free”, and for good reason.
Also in Pennsylvania. While you don’t need anyone to do the service there, you do have to show evidence the marriage is not incestuous and I had to do a health check - for STDs. This was 45 years ago, don’t know if it is still true.