Child Well-being

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Our Research & Offerings on Child Well-being

Commentary posted April 25, 2012 by Jennifer Marshall Homemakers in an Age of Feminist Mystique
Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen hit close to many American homes with her comment that Ann Romney, stay-at-home mother of five boys, "had never worked a day in her life." The broadside didn't just hit a presidential candidate's…
Commentary posted February 22, 2012 by Jennifer Marshall Unwed Childbearing is the ‘New Normal’? Depends on Where You Stand
Unwed childbearing is the “new normal” for women under 30, reports the New York Times. A study from the research organization Child Trends reveals that 53 percent of births to women in this age group now occur outside marriage. However, this…
Commentary posted November 18, 2011 by Jennifer Marshall Making Adoption a Likely Option
Adoption advocates hope to recruit enough parents to take in the 107,000 children in America’s foster care system who are waiting for permanent families. And it’s not just because November is National Adoption Month. For too many children, foster care has become more of a trap…
Backgrounder posted September 13, 2011 by Robert Rector, Rachel Sheffield Understanding Poverty in the United States: Surprising Facts About America's Poor
Executive Summary Today, the Census Bureau released its annual poverty report, which declared that a record 46.2 million persons, or roughly one in seven Americans, were poor in 2010. The numbers were up sharply from the previous year’s total of…
Audio Recorded on August 23, 2011 Marriage and Children
From The Heritage Foundation, I'm Ernest Istook. America's divorce rate has improved; that's been a steady trend since 1979. But one reason why is not good news. Because so many people don't bother to get married, now four…
Commentary posted July 27, 2011 by Jennifer Marshall Cheating on School Tests Fails the Character Test
School's out, but summer vacation is anything but relaxing for those embroiled in the most extensive cheating scandal in the history of American public education. A 10-month investigation in Georgia revealed pervasive tampering with standardized tests in Atlanta public schools. And teachers and administrators, not students,…
Legal Memorandum posted July 12, 2011 by Charles Stimson, Maya Noronha Get SMART: Complying with Federal Sex Offender Registration Standards
Abstract: Just before Christmas 2009, 11-year-old Sarah Haley Foxwell was brutally raped and murdered by a convicted high-risk sex offender, Thomas J. Leggs. Although Leggs was classified as a high-risk offender in Delaware, because of inconsistencies in sex offender classification between states, Maryland identified…
Audio Recorded on June 17, 2011 PODCAST: Ryan Messmore on Father's Day
Ryan Messmore discusses the importance of fathers in the home and in American society. Hannah Sternberg hosts. To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit our RSS feed or subscribe on iTunes. To listen to more Heritage in Focus podcasts, return to the…
Backgrounder posted June 7, 2011 by Chuck Donovan A Marshall Plan for Marriage: Rebuilding Our Shattered Homes
Abstract: Marriage and family are declining in America, following a trend well established in Europe. This breakdown of the American family has dire implications for American society and the U.S. economy. Halting and reversing the sustained trends of nearly four decades will not happen…
WebMemo posted May 6, 2011 by Chuck Donovan Winning DOMA on the Merits of Marriage
If Olympic medals were handed out for hubris, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a gay activist group, would be the clear favorite for the gold. Its ruthless effort to deprive the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) a top-notch defense in federal court has collapsed at the starting block. But this…

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Backgrounder posted September 13, 2011 by Robert Rector, Rachel Sheffield Understanding Poverty in the United States: Surprising Facts About America's Poor
Executive Summary Today, the Census Bureau released its annual poverty report, which declared that a record 46.2 million persons, or roughly one in seven Americans, were poor in 2010. The numbers were up sharply from the previous year’s total of…
Backgrounder posted January 25, 1996 by Patrick Fagan, Ph.D. Why Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability
Introduction[1] By extolling freedom of religion in the schools, President Bill Clinton has raised the level of debate on the importance of religion to American life.[2] The time is ripe for a deeper dialogue on the contribution of religion to the welfare of the nation. America has always…
Backgrounder posted September 16, 2010 by Robert Rector Marriage: America’s Greatest Weapon Against Child Poverty
Abstract: Child poverty is an ongoing national concern, but few are aware that its principal cause is the absence of married fathers in the home. Marriage remains America’s strongest anti-poverty weapon, yet it continues to decline. As husbands disappear from the home, poverty and…
Testimony posted April 20, 2011 by Chuck Donovan The Defense of Marriage Act: A Measure for Children and Families
Testimony before Subcommittee on the Constitution Committee on the Judiciary United States House of Representatives …
Lecture posted September 27, 2010 by Jeff Kemp, Robert Woodson, Sr., Jay Hein, The Honorable Kevin Andrews, Philippa Stroud Hope, Growth, and Enterprise: Social Justice Lessons from the Life of Jack Kemp
Abstract: As we speak about America and free enterprise and the conservative principles that mean so much to us, it is not enough to uphold and defend those ideas. We must put them into action to help all people. In this process, we should…
Commentary posted September 22, 2006 by Rebecca Hagelin Book reviews that parents can use
"Mom, all my friends are going to see a movie tonight. Can I go, too?" How many millions of parents over the years have been asked this question? It's all too easy to simply focus on who is going and forget that we need to look at what they're going to before we arrange the…
Commentary posted April 25, 2012 by Jennifer Marshall Homemakers in an Age of Feminist Mystique
Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen hit close to many American homes with her comment that Ann Romney, stay-at-home mother of five boys, "had never worked a day in her life." The broadside didn't just hit a presidential candidate's…
Backgrounder posted June 7, 2011 by Chuck Donovan A Marshall Plan for Marriage: Rebuilding Our Shattered Homes
Abstract: Marriage and family are declining in America, following a trend well established in Europe. This breakdown of the American family has dire implications for American society and the U.S. economy. Halting and reversing the sustained trends of nearly four decades will not happen…
Testimony posted May 13, 2004 by Patrick Fagan, Ph.D. The Impact of Marriage and Divorce on Children
Testimony Before the Senate of the United States, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Subcommittee on Science, Technology, And Space regarding the Social Scientific Data on the Impact of Marriage and Divorce on Children. (Charts and graphs included in the testimony are available in the Map of the Family Powerpoint presentation) Good afternoon…
Center for Data Analysis Report posted April 15, 2002 by Robert Rector, Kirk Johnson, Ph.D., Patrick Fagan, Ph.D. The Effect of Marriage on Child Poverty
The 1960s War on poverty was intended to eliminate child poverty nationwide through a variety of income transfers and human development programs. However, during the first three decades of the War on poverty, there was little net decline in the child poverty rate. In 1965 (the year when the first War on poverty programs…

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Backgrounder posted September 13, 2011 by Robert Rector, Rachel Sheffield Understanding Poverty in the United States: Surprising Facts About America's Poor
Executive Summary Today, the Census Bureau released its annual poverty report, which declared that a record 46.2 million persons, or roughly one in seven Americans, were poor in 2010. The numbers were up sharply from the previous year’s total of…
Legal Memorandum posted July 12, 2011 by Charles Stimson, Maya Noronha Get SMART: Complying with Federal Sex Offender Registration Standards
Abstract: Just before Christmas 2009, 11-year-old Sarah Haley Foxwell was brutally raped and murdered by a convicted high-risk sex offender, Thomas J. Leggs. Although Leggs was classified as a high-risk offender in Delaware, because of inconsistencies in sex offender classification between states, Maryland identified…
Backgrounder posted June 7, 2011 by Chuck Donovan A Marshall Plan for Marriage: Rebuilding Our Shattered Homes
Abstract: Marriage and family are declining in America, following a trend well established in Europe. This breakdown of the American family has dire implications for American society and the U.S. economy. Halting and reversing the sustained trends of nearly four decades will not happen…
WebMemo posted May 6, 2011 by Chuck Donovan Winning DOMA on the Merits of Marriage
If Olympic medals were handed out for hubris, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a gay activist group, would be the clear favorite for the gold. Its ruthless effort to deprive the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) a top-notch defense in federal court has collapsed at the starting block. But this…
Backgrounder posted March 25, 2011 by Thomas Atwood Foster Care: Safety Net or Trap Door?
Abstract: For tens of thousands of endangered children, foster care has become a trap door rather than the safety net they need to help them succeed. In particular, federal financing policies have favored foster care over other child welfare approaches, leading states to overuse…
Backgrounder posted September 16, 2010 by Robert Rector Marriage: America’s Greatest Weapon Against Child Poverty
Abstract: Child poverty is an ongoing national concern, but few are aware that its principal cause is the absence of married fathers in the home. Marriage remains America’s strongest anti-poverty weapon, yet it continues to decline. As husbands disappear from the home, poverty and…
Report posted November 10, 2007 by Robert Rector, Christine Kim Fiscal Distribution Analysis of Single-Parent Families in the United States, FY2004
Abstract. A fiscal deficit occurs when the benefits and services received by one group exceeds the taxes paid. When such a deficit occurs, other groups must pay, through taxes, for the services and benefits of the group in deficit. A fiscal distribution analysis measures…
Executive Summary posted October 25, 2002 by Patrick Fagan, Ph.D., Robert Patterson, Robert Rector Marriage and Welfare Reform: The Overwhelming Evidence that Marriage Education Works
The erosion of marriage has created enormous difficulties for children, parents, and society. Today, one child in three is born out of wedlock. Compared to children born within marriage, children born outside of marriage are overwhelmingly more likely to live in poverty, depend on welfare, and have behavior problems. They are also more…
Center for Data Analysis Report posted April 15, 2002 by Robert Rector, Kirk Johnson, Ph.D., Patrick Fagan, Ph.D. The Effect of Marriage on Child Poverty
The 1960s War on poverty was intended to eliminate child poverty nationwide through a variety of income transfers and human development programs. However, during the first three decades of the War on poverty, there was little net decline in the child poverty rate. In 1965 (the year when the first War on poverty programs…
Executive Memorandum posted July 30, 1999 by Patrick Fagan, Ph.D. How Special Interests Would Kill Day Care Choice
Congress is poised to take the first step toward creating a new federal bureaucracy to regulate the provision of day care in the United States. Under the guise of giving lower-paid federal workers a higher employee benefit, this new bureaucracy would have sweeping powers to determine the child care options available to…

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