The Heritage Foundation Sees the Family Crisis — But Not the Fix

“What happens to a nation when its citizens largely stop having children and, when they do, eschew marriage?” asks the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank. The size of its 164-page report “Saving America by Saving the Family” is outdone only by the 60-by-30-foot banner draped across the outside of its building. Quoting the late Charlie Kirk, it reads: “Get married. Have children. Build a legacy.”

Let me start by saying that I’m heartened by the right’s recent attention to family policy. I really am. I started writing about paid parental leave and child care more than a decade ago while at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute. At the time it was the kind of thing that got you labeled as a RINO or relegated to the policy fringes while the big boys worked on tax and reg policy. Family policy has always deserved a seat at the adult table. It’s good to see the GOP is pulling up some chairs.