Do Americans need to have more kids? This red state shows how to help families.

USA Today

23-05-2025

Do Americans need to have more kids? This red state shows how to help families. | Opinion A pro-family agenda also is a pro-workforce agenda. Families can't grow unless parents can afford to raise kids.
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Child-care costs top out at $56,000 in some cities
Some parents are taking side jobs to keep up with the cost of child-care.
Bloomberg
Discussions about how to get Americans to have more babies have been in the news a lot recently. Birth rates are falling, and President Donald Trump's administration has made it clear they want to reverse the trend.
The renewed focus on families is welcome. But as a mom of three, I know the problem isn't just about convincing people to have more kids – it's about making it possible to raise them.
American women say they want 2.7 children on average, according to Gallup. Yet, they're having just 1.6 − a 30-year low, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The issue isn't desire − it's lack of support.
Over the past few years, I've traveled across Arkansas, meeting moms. Our state has the worst maternal mortality rate in the country. One story sticks with me: Ashley Bearden Campbell, executive director of Arkansans for Improving Maternal Health, delivered her daughter by emergency C-section at just 28 weeks and 5 days, with the baby weighing only 2 pounds, 4 ounces.
Ashley was lucky. Her daughter survived. But the challenges didn't end in the hospital. She was deep in postpartum depression and didn't realize it until a nurse named it.
I often think how different her experience might have been if she'd had a doula, a community health worker or better prenatal care. Her story, like so many others, is a reminder that motherhood in America, especially in rural states, is often a high-risk, low-support experience.
Arkansas shows how to help families
We can do better. And in Arkansas, we're starting to.
Over the past two years, our state has become a testing ground for pro-family policy rooted in shared values. Last month, Arkansas became one of the first red states to pass paid maternity leave for public school teachers. This isn't just a benefit for educators – it's a workforce strategy and a recognition that the early days of parenthood matter.
Arkansas expanded Medicaid to include doulas and community health workers, ensuring mothers get meaningful support. Under the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act, we're investing in maternal health, including a 70% increase in birth reimbursement rates and payment reforms that encourage more providers to serve pregnant moms.
Thanks to forward-looking leadership, including from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas is showing what's possible when maternal health is made a priority.
This momentum just got a boost with the launch of the Heartland Forward Maternal and Child Health Center for Policy and Practice, which aims to scale what works. The center builds on model states like New Jersey, where community-based care has improved outcomes, and brings them to heartland states. It's about turning pilot programs into permanent change in the places that need it most.
3 ways to help parents have more children
What we're learning in Arkansas is that a pro-family agenda is also a pro-workforce agenda. Families can't grow unless parents can afford to raise kids. Here are three priorities every state and the federal government should focus on:
∎ Expand the Child Tax Credit: When Congress allowed the expanded Child Tax Credit to expire in 2021, nearly 4 million children fell back into poverty. In Arkansas, the tax credit lifted an estimated 191,000 children out of poverty and contributed to a 40% drop in the state's child poverty rate. It remains one of the most effective tools to support working families.
∎ Give paid family and medical leave to all parents: Paid family and medical leave should be standard for every parent, from truck drivers to teachers to retail workers. Two of Arkansas' largest employers - Walmart and Tyson - expanded leave policies. New laws also cover state employees and public school teachers. The federal government can build on this by creating block grants to help states and small businesses expand access.
∎Invest in childcare as infrastructure: In much of Arkansas, childcare costs more than education. In rural areas, it's often impossible to find. More than 64,000 children under 5 live in childcare deserts. Meanwhile, nearly 75% of Arkansas mothers with young kids are in the workforce. If we're serious about helping families grow, we must invest in the systems that support them.
I keep thinking of Ashley − of the pain she endured, the loneliness she felt and the quiet agony of postpartum depression she didn't know how to name. Her experience is not unique, but it should be.
Arkansas is beginning to show what's possible when we invest in mothers. We welcome others to join us in building a better foundation for families − one that makes choosing parenthood feel supported every step of the way.
Olivia Walton is the founder and CEO of Ingeborg Investments.