Federal lawmakers are considering funding $1,000 savings accounts for children and a $5,000 baby bonus to combat falling birth rates. But I think it’s a much larger discussion than one-time payments that won’t even cover the cost of diapers.
I must start this conversation by being clear that I have never given birth. I was lucky enough to find a man with an amazing daughter, and she welcomed me as a mother. Before I met her, I never had the maternal urge or instinct.
Rather than attacking women who have a different vision for their lives, I want to focus on how to support those who want to be parents — whether of one child or many siblings.
I have experience with both, in a way. My parents both came from large families: eight and 10 siblings. Our family gatherings are epic. But I only had one sibling, a brother I lost too soon.
The U.S. birth rate has been in decline since 2007. Other countries are seeing the same phenomenon. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks two birth rates: crude birth and fertility.
Crude is the number of children born per 1,000 people. The number is calculated by dividing births in a year by the average population for the year.
Fertility rates are calculated by the total number of births to women aged 15-44.
USA Today reported in January that the crude birth rate for the U.S. in 2023 was 10.74 births per 1,000 people. The fertility rate that same year was 54.5 births per 1,000 women aged 15-44, a slight drop compared to 2022’s rate of 56 births per 1,000 such women.
In comparison, the fertility rate was 69.5 in 2007.
Vice President J.D. Vance and others are concerned about the stability of the economy due to the falling birth rates. Labor shortages are a prime consideration, as well as reduced tax revenue to support public infrastructure and services.
While a lower population could reduce consumption to a point, a baseline of service will always be needed, some argue.
There does seem to be an increased focus on career than family in recent decades. But even those who want to have children find themselves putting it off because they simply can’t afford it. It’s that group of people that government could support, in order to encourage and incentivize births.
Solutions
Child care costs are the number one concern for most. At this point, a year of child care costs as much as college tuition.
Having a parent stay home is an option, but in the current economy it would be a struggle to keep up with a family’s needs on one salary. Here in Indiana, legislators reduced eligibility for a child care voucher and also have shown no interest in a child care tax credit. They have instead focused on child care regulations that might be limiting the number of seats available in the state. While helpful, it’s doubtful the tweaks will make a significant dent in the shortage.
Let’s also remember that child care also helps employers fill open jobs.
Indiana has had a prekindergarten program since 2015 but it serves only 6,000 children statewide — and funding has stagnated.
Prekindergarten not only helps parents struggling with care options but also gives children a solid foundation for school. A longitudinal Indiana study found positive effects as a general measure of school readiness and early language and literacy. Additionally, children who participated had significantly higher mathematics and meaningfully higher English language arts scores on Indiana’s statewide assessment in the third and fourth grades than the comparison students.
Then there’s the issue of paid maternal leave. Mandating coverage would go a long way to ensuring new mothers could bond with their children and come back to careers they value. More than a dozen states have paid leave laws but Indiana is not one of them.
Family-friendly quality of life measures are also important, including a variety of parks, trails, and affordable housing. No one wants to cram multiple children into a bedroom together, and current housing prices are helping dictate family decisions.
I think the billions being discussed on the federal level — and millions in state-level decisions — would be better used in a targeted manner to grow the infrastructure needed to have and nurture children. Let’s hope the discussion continues beyond one-time payments.