Normally they do not, but it never hurts to ask. With all things customer service (in all industries, not just airline travel), knowing what you want before you ask will increase your chances of getting it. But I must admit I am a little confused; in the original post it sounds like you were delayed overnight as you mention missing an evening with your family, so would a day pass have been really all that useful?

And I know you don't appreciate the "lecturing" but it really does benefit any traveler to do whatever they can to make the unexpected, more tolerable. If that means understanding the weather patterns in your connection city, packing an extra pair of socks and undies just in case you're a day late getting home, padding your schedule, or memorizing alternate routes to your destination, then you really will get benefit from the work you put into it. And it is work. I did 77 segments or so last year (in the Northeast with all the snow, no less) and had very few problems, but I do what I can to stack the odds in my favor. If you want to stay sane and happy in a high-travel lifestyle, then you have to approach it as if nobody is going to take care of you. It is a lot easier to stand by for an earlier flight or kill 90 minutes in a lounge than it is to get on a plane that's already left.