There are a lot of proposals aimed at supporting families – child tax credits, baby product tax exemptions, and family leave. But there’s another proposal that has been gaining steam the past few years – making birth free.
Birth Rates
Anxiety over declining fertility rates has brought enthusiasm in Catholic circles around the possibility of free birth. “We’re not replacing ourselves,” Dr. Kenneth Craycraft, professor of moral theology told Drew Mariani, “the population is shrinking.” America, according to Craycraft, needs to recover a pro-natalist policy agenda.
The Free Birth Movement
“The discussion to make birth free was energized by Elizabeth Bruenig’s Atlantic article…published right after the Dobbs decision,” wrote Craycraft. Then, outlets published commentary in the Institute for Family Studies, in Compact Magazine, and in First Things by Dr. Craycraft himself. Even Sen. JD Vance has signaled interest in the issue.
In addition to helping to increase birth rates, some proponents argue free birth can improve health outcomes. “High costs deter women from seeking or obtaining prenatal and postpartum care, delaying identification of high-risk pregnancy or intervention to treat complications from birth,” according to Catherine Glenn Foster and Kristen Day.
Foster, Day, and Craycraft all see free birth as a positive pro-life policy. According to a study published in 2013 analyzing why women seek abortions in the U.S, 40% of women cited economic concerns. Birth can be expensive for families. According to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, the cost of birth is around $18,865, with most patients paying almost $3,000 in out of pocket costs. Some, though, pay excess of $5,000, and those families that need intensive care might pay more than $10,000. “A free birth program would contribute to a culture of welcoming life, preventing abortion, and caring for the well-being of mothers and children,” Craycraft wrote.
But Free?
Some think there are better ways of supporting families than simply making birth free. Leah Libresco Sargeant and Patrick T. Brown co-authored an article in the Institute for Family Studies arguing that augmenting existing programs, rather than create a new entitlement, might be more effective. For example, they argue that an expanding Medicaid coverage for mothers “making 200% or 300% of FPL (Federal Poverty Line) would ensure more moms who are making below the median income receive the financial support around childbirth that they need.”
The authors also recommend setting a cap for out-of-pocket related birth expenses at $2,000 and advocate expanding the child tax credit. “Life starts at conception, but the financial burdens of parenthood don’t end at birth,” they wrote.
