I don't think the Rules Committee doesn't care about children-that's just silly. If anything, they do care about children and are trying to make the best decisions possible FOR these kids.
Maybe it's location, but the mini division is usually 5-10 deep here at even the small competitions. And silly me, I thought tiny would be a fun division for a small group of siblings that wanted to start cheering. At the first competition, I was mortified and seriously thought to myself: "This is the worst idea I've ever had." The "tiny" teams were GIANTS and competitive as could be. Hats off to the coaches that had flawless tiny routines in November, but that was not us. And although my tiny team ended up being a great team in the end, it was a struggle and a real eye opener.
I think some of the problem is that tiny teams are not generally that big because it's hard to find 20 five year olds, and I'm thinking in my head that maybe some smaller gyms could produce these tiny teams if there was another age included. CA will probably always have a long line of young ones waiting to get in the door and start, but that's not the same as my small gym in a small town.
Also, I agree with your comment on the prep division. We did it last year, and I have nothing but great things to say about it and how I think it should and will take off. I think the difference is getting these kids in the door at 12, or getting them in the door at 6.