Financial-incentive programs for prospective parents do not effectively reverse falling birth rates. More effective approaches target the barriers that make parenting difficult, including high living costs, lack of affordable childcare, and limited options for older parents who want more children. U.S. fertility has declined 22 percent since 2007 according to CDC data. Contributing factors include the cost of living, prior negative medical pregnancy experiences, and concerns about major global issues such as climate change. Societal shifts include a greater focus on careers and broader acceptance of choosing to remain childfree.
Ana Langer, professor of the practice of public health, emerita, said the causes of fertility decline are numerous, complex, and difficult to reverse. Surveys investigating why people might not want children cite things such as the cost of living, negative medical experiences from previous pregnancies, and wariness about major global issues such as climate change. In fact, she said, many survey respondents are surprised that declining fertility is even a problem and say they're more concerned about overpopulation and its impacts on the planet.
Financial-incentive programs for prospective parents don't work as a way to reverse falling birth rates, Harvard health experts said on Tuesday about a policy option that has been in the news in recent months. Instead, they said, a more effective approach would be to target issues that make parenting difficult: the high cost of living, a lack of affordable childcare, and better options for older parents who still want to see their families grow.
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