WASHINGTON — Unmarried couples who live together are increasingly likely to have children, with the rate nearly doubling since 2002, according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Twenty-two percent of first births from 2006 to 2010 were to women in a cohabiting couple, up from 12 percent in 2002, the study by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics said.
The increase came even as the picture for U.S. births and parenthood remained largely unchanged from the 2002 data, the report said. Gladys Martinez, the study's lead author, said a reason for the greater number of children born to unmarried couples was the rising number of men and women living together.
"More people are cohabiting. It's more likely that they are going to have children when in cohabiting unions," she told Reuters.
The increase is important because children born out of wedlock generally suffer more instability and grow up with fewer resources.This is important for several reasons. First, it's a sign that for millions of children just being born, they will have fewer resources. Second, it's a good time to protect those kids from Republicans who consider lifestyle a reason to deny citizens government rights and protection. It's a sign that our culture is changing, and for the sake of those kids and families we need to adapt and understand what they need so we can build a country that includes them as a significant portion of the people... because in a few years they will be.
From the dawn of mankind until now, we've never seen traditional families change so much. It's a great thing that lets people choose how they will live, and reduces the stigma of being in a different family style. Knowing this, we need to stay on top of these trends and incorporate them into government programs and build social undertanding. Otherwise the kids will pay, while the adults scratch their heads and wonder just how living lawfully still backfired and put them in a mess.
No comments:
Post a Comment