Author Isabel V. Sawhill, in her article, Is Lack of Marriage the Real Problem, talks about the question whether the individual states and/ or the federal government can do anything about the problem of children being raised outside of marriage. Marriage is important for the well being of the children. It is a value that seems to be disappearing. What can the government do about it?
Lack of marriage is not the real problem because the majority of American women marry by the time they are 45 years old. It is the timing of marriage. The problem is having children before marriage. Teen pregnancies and unmarried women in their twenties having babies can lead to a life of poverty for the mothers and their children. It is not a good idea to have babies before marriage because it is not good for the children. People need to focus on getting their education and establishing their careers before they have children. This way, the parents can take care of their families. Parents need to work together to give support to each other in raising the children.
People should also wait to get married and have children until they are mature. We should educate our population about birth control, abstinence, the value of education, and the value of marriage. We should begin teaching these things while children are still in school. We also need to educate people who are in the community in all age groups.
The state and federal governments need to continue to support single parents and provide them with opportunities to improve their lives and they will gain the ability to take care of themselves through education, and financial assistance so their children do not suffer damage from poverty. Lack of marriage is not so much the problem as the lack of good marriages that are beneficial to the children from the time they are born throughout their childhood.
