Fair Start Movement

Category: Family Planning & Child Rights

  • Congress Overlooking the Obvious Solution to Opioid Births

    Congress Overlooking the Obvious Solution to Opioid Births

    Last week, the House and Senate passed a compromise to send the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 to the White House for signing. This coincides with recent headlines that have renewed attention to the skyrocketing number of babies born addicted to opioids.

    Meanwhile, a staggering 90% of pregnancies among opioid-maintained women are unintended. So where are the safeguards to help these moms prevent unplanned pregnancies in the first place?

    TAKE ACTION: Add your name here.

    It should be noted that prosecution and incarceration have no proven benefits to maternal or infant health. We need a public health response. However, efforts have been centered on treatment and recovery. And of that, only 10 percent of Americans with a drug use disorder get specialty treatment.

    A Failure By Health and Human Services

    The Department of Health and Human Services is already working with selected states through the Substance-Exposed Infant Initiative. However, there is no mention of family planning or contraception in its report. While treatment is important, all of these efforts are focused on addressing the problem after the fact. We need to a proactive solution.

    LARC4CO is serving as a model for success for long-acting reversible contraceptive public programs in Colorado. As a member of the coalition, Having Kids is working to replicate that success in more states. But we must ask, why is this model not the federal standard?

    Only about 6% of women with an opioid use disorder report using Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC), such as an IUD or implant. Because of this massive hole in family planning, children undergo physical trauma at birth and the lifelong emotional and health consequences that result. And the crisis is not limited to affecting children in infancy.

    Opioid Crisis Effects On Children
    • Babies born addicted to opioids endure withdrawal symptoms, which can last for months.
    • The instability that comes with a parent battling addiction also has harmful effects on children.
    • According to one study, “Children of opioid- and (alcohol-dependent parents) have significantly higher rates of psychopathology, as well as more difficulties in academic, social, and family functioning compared to the children of parents without a substance abuse disorder.”
    • Children’s born to mothers who use opioid during pregnancy may face learning disabilities.
    • Abuse and neglect are causing an increase in the number of children entering the foster care system.

    According to the Gooden Center:

    “Mainly because of the opioid crisis… [there were] 30,000 more children in foster care in 2015 than there were in 2012 which represents an 8 percent increase. In 14 states, the number of foster kids rose by 25 percent between 2011 and 2015. The problem became so severe in states like Texas, Florida and Oregon that kids had to sleep in state buildings because there were no more foster homes available.”

    Why are we waiting for babies to become drug dependent before action is taken? Is this legislation’s blindness to the source of problem intentional because of potential difficulty in getting conservatives to support a package which includes family planning measures? I truly hope not. The well-being of newborns should supersede political agendas.


    Helping Women With Opioid Dependency Through Family Planning

    We can help women and children by removing the hurdles to accessing long-acting and effective birth control. By doing so, we can improve lives and better help those struggling with addiction to overcome their dependency without the added burden of parenting before they are ready. The obvious solution to preventing infants from becoming additional victims in this crisis is through a conscious public effort for family planning.

    And what about cost concerns? While an IUD can cost about $1090, the cost of caring for an infant with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) can be upwards of $60,000. Therefore, it makes fiscal sense for the public to support family planning.

    The failure by HHS and Congress to address this problem is forcing more infants to go through the agony of withdrawal every day. More children are being irreversibly affected. Swift, significant action is needed at the federal level to help communities afford women the ability to better prevent unplanned pregnancies.

    This crisis demands that we put children first with family planning that accounts for their needs. Anything less than immediate attention is an acceptance of more suffering of infants and additional trauma on families.

    Let’s invest in our communities by helping parents wait until they are ready and able to provide kids a fair start at life.

    The bill is on its way to the White House for signing. Please ask President Trump and HHS Secretary Alex Azar to use the bill signing as an opportunity to prioritize family planning to stop newborns from suffering. 

    TAKE ACTION: Add your name here.

  • Open Letter: U.N. Leadership Needed on Family Planning

    Open Letter: U.N. Leadership Needed on Family Planning

    Having Kids is renewing its call for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to issue a new U.N. family planning statement, recommending a focus on children’s well-being and their need for a sustainable future. While the current family planning model used by the U.N. and most major family planning organizations seeks to improve human welfare, it has overlooked the long-term human rights of children to have an equitable and sustainable world. 

    Read the letter here.

    Since our last letter, several new studies have confirmed the dire threat posed by climate change, including its impact on the increasing threat of pestilence and crop losses, the severity of hurricanes and other weather threats, and the degradation of all ecosystems on earth. Fair Start family planning is not only the most effective way to mitigate the dangers of climate change. It also addresses children’s welfare crises such as poverty, inequality, hunger, disease, and the threats of violence and terrorism.

    A better family planning model would advance all 17 of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. All nations have a responsibility to act. That’s why we are urging Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to issue a new U.N. family planning statement on this urgent need.

    Take action now. Add your name to the petition or send a message through this page.

  • Is It Trendy to Have A Big Family?

    Is It Trendy to Have A Big Family?

    Observers having been suggesting that large families are a new status symbol. Even Tina Fey pointed out the absurdity. One writer wonders if the Instagram influence is to blame for creating the aspirational image of the trendy big family.

    “The Instagram world is a showcase of perfect mums who look like they have their act together, with a perfectly tidy house, immaculate lippy and a brood of gleaming children who have clearly been superglued to their chair to eat – normal children don’t sit still for photos.”

    People are now reacting with praise to an op-ed by writer Mark Oppenheimer, who is having five kids.

    We couldn’t help but notice what’s lacking in these promotions of large families: a consideration for kids’ needs. They also ignore the impact large families have on the environment and the future world all children need to thrive.  

    Research has shown that small families are better for children. Each additional child diminishes the amount of individual attention and investment that a parent can provide for the other children. Moreover, large families are the worst way to exacerbate climate change and other environmental crises. They ensure a future filled with more people competing for fewer resources in a degraded environment. Why do that to kids?

    Thinking Beyond Ourselves

    In an amazingly egocentric claim, Oppenheimer writes:

    “…People should do what they want to do…And those of us who want five children should have them.”

    Really? It is ok then to disregard the harmful impact we have on others? Is it fair for us to impose ourselves on others in that way? Do we owe something to all children in planning our families? Wouldn’t that recognizing that duty result in a better future for our own children?  

    There is a better way. We encourage all parents to consider how they can engage in more conscientious family planning by adopting the Fair Start model to reduce their impact on our already degraded environment, and give all kids a better shot at a more equitable future.

    Smaller families working together to plan for and invest more in each child is, hands down, the most effective way to improve child welfare, reduce inequality, and restore our environment.

    Let’s end the isolationist thinking in the act of planning our families that disconnects us from others in the world. 

  • No More Headlines. It’s Time to Prevent Child Abuse

    No More Headlines. It’s Time to Prevent Child Abuse

    A wave of disgraceful headlines have made it clear that we need serious action to prevent child abuse. The following incidents have been reported around the country in the past few weeks:

    • A man in Florida, currently on probation for child neglect, is now facing child abuse charges on allegations of tying up his young son at night to prevent him from eating.
    • In Pennsylvania, a man has been charged with child abuse after he confessed to likely causing bruising and brain bleeding to a 6-month old child in his care by repeatedly hitting the child on the back when the infant was crying.
    • A couple in Missouri was arrested for allegedly keeping four children locked inside small boxes secured with plywood and screws. The children had no access to food, water, restrooms, lights or windows and their home reeked of urine.
    • A man in South Dakota was charged with murdering his infant daughter. She was brought to the hospital with head injuries that were “indicative of non-accidental trauma.” The baby died a week after being admitted to the hospital. The same man had previously pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse after his other infant daughter was brought to the hospital with injuries.
    • A $20,000 bond was set for a Wisconsin couple who kept kids in makeshift cages.

    Sadly, these are just a few of the hundreds of thousands of cases that happen in the United States on an annual basis. Younger children are the most vulnerable, with nearly one-third of abuse happening to children under the age of four. Unsurprisingly, 91% of these abused or neglected children were maltreated by one or both parents. 

    We owe kids better than this.

    We have a responsibility to prevent child abuse. And the best way to do that is by creating a culture, derived from smart policies, that prevents abusive and neglectful parent from ever having kids. Having Kids is working towards that fundamental change through our Fair Start order campaign. It’s simple: If someone has been convicted of a serious case of child abuse and cannot care for children, they will be ordered not to have additional children until the situation changes.

    These orders are a fair and constitutional way to change the way we plan our families based on the child-first Fair Start model. 

    It’s time to get proactive, rather than continuing to be reactive. Punishment after the fact is not good enough. We can stop abusive parents from inflicting harm on more kids.

    Let’s get ahead of the problem. Take action now and support Fair Start order legislation in your state.

  • Inequality and Children: Why A Head Start for Some, Hurts All Kids

    Inequality and Children: Why A Head Start for Some, Hurts All Kids

    Bloomberg recently posted a story about a summer camp for the ultra-rich, that teaches them how to get richer.

    What?

    Why should a select few get to have their hands held to jump to the front of the line? Children born with a head start are handed opportunities, access, guidance, trust funds, and connections that allow them to easily generate wealth in adulthood. The doors are opened to them to simply walk through. Compare that with the rest of Americans who struggle to find affordable housing, healthcare and fair paying jobs, and are often burdened with student loan debt.

    But inheriting a massive head start in life from wealth and privilege is not simply unfair. It degrades democracy. Because as the rich getting richer at the expense of a shrinking middle class, powerful interests wield their power to influence policy and keep our economy working only for themselves.

    Furthermore, we know that the economic inequality created by such policies is closely tied to poverty and crime, and results in a number of negative health and development outcomes for children. As inequality increases, child welfare decreases. And that is the direction we are going. How is that progress? Our standard of living should improve over time, not worsen.

    So then, how can we create more fairness and take a serious approach in attacking inequality? The answer is not simply a redistribution of wealth from a system flawed at its foundation. It’s looking at our values as Americans, as humanitarians, and recognizing that children deserve to be born with a fair start. That means safe neighborhoods, healthcare, a quality, equitable education, and nutrition. It also means having parents that are able to give them the time and attention that they need to thrive and be successful.

    This can be accomplished with a cooperative family planning framework. Fair Start family planning brings us together to invest in all kids, to improve equity and create a better society.

    Who would argue against a level playing field?

    TAKE ACTION: Ask him to respond to Having Kids’ questions. Fairness for children starts with those questions. Add your name here.

  • It’s Time to Address Child Poverty in the U.S.

    It’s Time to Address Child Poverty in the U.S.

    Headlines tell us that the U.S. economy is strong and that the unemployment rate is low. But those positive indicators don’t reflect the reality for the 40 million Americans living in poverty. As politicians thirst to slash safety nets, many take the stance that people need to pull themselves up, and simply work hard.

    It’s not that simple, however. Wages are stagnant, inflation is rising, and hourly jobs are not guaranteeing hours to employees, which leaves many struggling to stay afloat week to week.

    But aren’t we losing sight of who is most vulnerable? When we talk about welfare programs and SNAP food assistance benefits, there’s often an undertone of judgement focused on the adults. What if we brought the focus back to kids, and the staggering fact that nearly half of U.S. children live near the poverty line, according to a study in 2014?

    Addressing this epidemic requires solutions from many angles. But one of the most critical answers is ignored by our leaders and most of the child welfare community. And that is family planning. Never mind the expenses for basic needs. The cost of childcare is a significant barrier to employment. When parents can’t find affordable child care, they stay home.

    If we’re serious about addressing increasing inequality, child welfare and working to reduce the number of people relying on social programs, we must improve family planning. It is essential to tackling systemic low income.

    Last week we asked Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar to respond to a few questions regarding child welfare. Better family planning starts with those five questions. Let’s refocus towards the needs of children from the start, rather than the failing downstream approaches currently in place.

    Take action: Add your name here.

  • Earth Overshoot Day – Take Action Now

    Earth Overshoot Day – Take Action Now

    August 1, 2018 is Earth Overshoot Day.

    Worried that the federal government is actually making things worse, and hurting your kids’ future? You would be right. But you can take action by urging your local government, your town, city or county, to do the most effective thing possible to mitigate climate change and protect the environment.

    Between now and the end of the year, consider using the template below to urge your local government to take a position on the need for better family planning. Send them the draft, and then lobby them hard to do their jobs and protect you, your family, and your future.

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    Resolution acknowledging that Earth Overshoot Day 2018 is August 1, 2018 and Affirming [add your local government reference here] Commitment to Move Back the Date of Earth Overshoot Day And Provide Affordable and Accessible Family Planning Services

    WHEREAS, Earth Overshoot Day is the date each year when it is determined that we (all of humanity) have used more of the Earth’s natural resources than our planet can renew in that entire year; and

    WHEREAS, In 1970, Earth Overshoot Day was December 29; and

    WHEREAS, This year, Earth Overshoot Day is August 1, 2018; and

    WHEREAS, We now use the resources equivalent to that of 1.7 Earths; and

    WHEREAS, One way to live within the means of our planet is to ensure affordable and accessible family planning services, including birth control and women’s health services; and

    WHEREAS, Better family planning is a proven effective way to improve child welfare, reduce economic inequality, and protect and restore our environment; and

    WHEREAS, Smaller, child-centered families would result in 50% more biocapacity per person in 2100, and more biocapacity makes it easier to have thriving lives for all within the means of the planet; and

    WHEREAS, Investing in smaller, child-centered families through the empowerment of women is also consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG Number 5 General Equality calls for ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere, including giving women equal rights to economic resources and promoting gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels; and

    WHEREAS, Gender equality can also help ensure that we live within the means of our planet because when women are respected as equal partners in the household, at work, and in the community, better social outcomes for their families, including health and educational achievements invariably ensue; and

    WHEREAS, In 2011, nearly half (45% or 2.8 million) of the 6.1 million pregnancies in the United States each year were unintended; and[1]

    WHEREAS, Studies show that family planning programs and preventing teen pregnancy lead to more stable families and allow girls to stay in school longer; and

    WHEREAS, Studies also show that the more education young girls and women receive, the longer they wait to have children; and[2]

    WHEREAS, Some communities have instituted affordable and accessible family planning programs, which have resulted in an average 48% decrease in teen pregnancy; and

    WHEREAS, Family planning programs enable more women to use the birth control method of their choice and empower more individuals to plan if and when to become pregnant; and

    WHEREAS, The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released proposed changes to prohibit the use of federal Title X Family Planning Program funding for agencies that provide abortions or abortion-related services; and

    RESOLVED [ add your local government reference here] is committed to providing affordable and accessible family planning services, which is under attack by the Trump Administration, to protect our planet and its resources for future generations.

    [1] https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/unintended-pregnancy-united-states

    [2] https://www.wired.com/story/to-stop-climate-change-educate-girls-and-give-them-birth-control/

  • Why Can’t We Prevent Horrific Child Abuse?

    Why Can’t We Prevent Horrific Child Abuse?

    These are just a few of the incidents of child abuse and neglect reported around the country in the past few weeks.

    How many more cases go undetected? The reality is that between 3-5 children die every day in the United States from neglect and abuse.

    It’s time to stop this. And the best way to do that is  by creating a culture, derived from smart policies, that prevents abusive and neglectful parent from ever having kids. It’s time to get proactive, rather than reactive.

    Who would oppose this? Lots of politicians and big businesses make money off of our current family planning system, which pushes as many kids as possible into the world because doing so ensures a growing supply of hungry consumers, and a future filled with cheap labor and lots of taxpayers. They are to blame, and should be held accountable.

    Having Kids is promoting fundamental change through our Fair Start order campaign. It’s simple: If you’ve been convicted of a serious case of child abuse and cannot care for children, you will be ordered not to have additional children until the situation changes.

    These orders are a fair and constitutional way to change the way we plan our families. It’s called the child-first Fair Start model. 

    Let’s get ahead of the problem. Take action now and support Fair Start order legislation in your state.

     

     

  • How Not to Think About Demographic Transition

    How Not to Think About Demographic Transition

    Why is something news? Many journalists would say that things which impact large numbers of people should be reported upon. Late last week many news outlets covered a story about how the trend towards smaller families means the “extinction of the middle child.”

    How this change in family structures will impact peoples’ lives, comprehensively, is beyond uncertain, if It could be ascertained at all. What is certain is that smaller families are the best way to limit what is now a manifest pattern of climate change degrading well-being on earth and threatening our kids’ future. Smaller families are also a great way to mitigate the real extinction at hand – that of other species.

    We may have an emotional reaction to changes in things we are used to, things like the concept of middle children. But focusing on that – and not mentioning climate change in stories about family size – is negligent.

    So what’s the next move? Today the demographic transition to smaller families is thought of almost exclusively in quantitative terms. But it’s impossible to change family size without having qualitative impacts, and opportunities. With smaller families we can more easily work together to plan for and invest more in each child, perhaps even enough to give every child a fair start in life relative to other members of their generation.

    Let’s talk about what matters. Take action today.