Out-of-wedlock birth decline at what cost
California led the nation in reduction of
out-of-wedlock births last year, according to the federal Department of
Health and Human Services.
Ken Hanson
The reward for doing
so, some $100,000, will be split between California, Massachusetts, the
District of Columbia, Michigan and Alabama, according to the Los Angeles
Times.
These four states and one district were the nationís leaders in achieving
goals established by the Welfare Reform Act of 1996.
The intent was to reduce the number of
single mothers, and thus overall dependence on welfare.
Each state attacked the problem in its
own way. California, for example, placed increased emphasis on the availability
of birth control and family planning.
The Times article did not mention if there
was an increase in marriages, though. I have to ask if more people are
getting married just before having children or if they are just better
at avoiding pregnancy to begin with.
The article did say that statewide abortion
rates did not rise. At least people are not using that option as a form
of birth control, although that would be better than no contraception at
all.
Well, I hope that these women are not
getting pregnant at all. But I fear that may not be the case. I think that
many people are getting married just before the child is born.
I have seen it happen at least four times
to some of my friends, long-term, sexual relationships that end up at the
altar, so to speak.
Anthony and Alicia had been dating for
about two years when she got pregnant. They are now happily married with
a one-year-old son.
Several of my other friends have not faired
as well. My ex-girlfriend just returned to Southern California from Arcata.
While attending Humboldt State, she began
dating a guy, got pregnant, married, and they are now separated. She had
to pack up two-thirds of her life and relocate back to her mom's house
in West Covina.
I feel that the problem in that relationship
was two-fold. First, they got married way too young. Kim was 21 or 22 years
old and her short-term husband was not much older. Second, they had a child
before they were even used to being married.
Any couple can tell you that by adding
children into the marriage equation you complicate matters possibly to
the breaking point.
I really hope that other would-be single
mothers did not get hitched just so they would not be dependent on welfare.
Because in a state that has nearly a 50 percent divorce rate, jumping into
a marriage just because a woman is pregnant is not a bright idea.
Ken Hanson is the opinion editor of
the Daily Forty-Niner. |
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