The Push for More Babies in the U.S.

Hi mamas-

I had the opportunity to get loud for moms and families last week on national TV, talking about WHY we should care about the record low birth rates in America and how we can truly support families in this country. (Watch my interview HERE)

How we treat and value families is the greatest indication of a nation’s health. And we have a LOT of work to do.

In case you missed it, there’s been a push recently for women to have more babies — our birth rates are the lowest they’ve been since 1979.

Why should we care? We’re unable to attain the family size we want due to the stress and strain of having kids in the U.S. But, also, there’s a massive economic impact. We can’t grow our economy without a vibrant, robust workforce. And how do you get workers? By having babies. Think of it this way: Diminished Birth Rates= Diminished Labor Force= Diminished Economy.

To address this issue, the Trump administration is exploring ideas, such as $5k baby bonuses, to entice women to have more babies. But here’s the thing: if the government wants to be effective in this initiative, they’re going to have to listen to the right people. 

As my friend (and the CEO of Parentaly) Allison Whalen wrote, $5k is nothing when the average costs of raising a child to the age of 18 in the U.S. is now estimated at $310,605!

What do you think the real solutions are to declining birth rates? Let us know in the comments at the end of this newsletter.

Enjoy this week’s edition!

-Paula, Founder of CARRY ❤️ 

This week in The CARRY™ ALL, we’re talking about:

• 👶🏼 Childcare is Key

• 💼 Paid Family Leave is a Must

• 🎙️ Expert Perspectives

THE BIG 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣

1️⃣  👶🏼 Childcare is Key

As our founder, Paula Faris, pointed out in this talk she gave to Women Lead Change, the #1 barrier for women in the workforce is the lack of quality and affordable childcare. And since most families today need two incomes to stay afloat, they simply can’t afford for one parent to stay home to care for their kids. 

So if we’re to have more babies in the coming years, parents need to have access to affordable, quality childcare. It should come as no surprise that countries like Sweden, France and Canada have provided childcare subsidies and universal preschool programs and are reaping the benefits: increased maternal employment rates, reduced gender wage gaps, improved child outcomes, reduced poverty rates, and the ability to contribute to economic growth and social stability. 

Do you think childcare is the missing element to encourage women to have more babies? Let us know. 👇🏻

2️⃣ 💼 Paid Family Leave is a Must

As the U.S. is the only high-income country that does not mandate paid maternity leave at the federal level, we’re missing a huge opportunity that the rest of the world seems to be taking advantage of. Why does it matter? Women simply can’t afford to take months off without pay upon giving birth. Not having a paycheck (which is needed to contribute to the family’s finances) is a huge barrier to having kids for many women. And research shows that paid maternity leave is associated with increased fertility rates. In countries like Germany and Sweden, where families enjoy generous paid parental leave, women tend to have more children and return to work at higher rates. What do you think about this connection?

3️⃣ 🎙️Expert Perspectives

Want to know more about low birth rates, or how supporting families grows the economy? So did we. On her podcast, The Paula Faris Show, Paula spoke with Dr. Jennifer Glass, a Sociology professor focused on low birth rates and why women are fed up with “picking up the slack.” She also spoke with Australia’s former Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, about how his country was able to grow the economy and decrease the gender equity gap by creating family-friendly policies. Check them out!

📰 IN THE NEWS

Best and worst states for working moms + Paid Family Leave Gets Momentum

➡️ Not all states offer the same level of support for working parents, despite the fact that 75% of American moms with kids under 18 are in the workforce. A recent report ranks the best and worst states for working moms. Check out the full article. How does your state rank? 

➡️ States continue to lead the charge on paid family leave. And now, the first swing state, Pennsylvania, could pass both paid family and medical leave, backed by strong bi-partisan support. Read more HERE.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT 🤎

for working moms with older children

 🤪 It looks like we’re getting through to our teens! OK, maybe not when it comes to cleaning up after themselves or hoarding all the cups in their rooms. But when it comes to social media, there’s been a noticeable shift in their attitudes towards it. Nearly half of teens recognize that social media is bad for their mental health. And the result? They’re cutting back on its use. While there’s still so much work to be done in this space, we, as parents, should take it as a win. We’ve been screaming from the rooftops about the negative effects of social media for years. Keep on yelling mamas, it’s working.