Americans Prioritize Child Care Costs, Maternal Health Over Boosting Birth Rates, Survey Finds

July 8, 2025
Americans Prioritize Child Care Costs, Maternal Health Over Boosting Birth Rates, Survey Finds
  • A recent survey reveals that most Americans prioritize addressing the high costs of child care and improving maternal health outcomes over increasing birth rates or promoting pronatalist policies.

  • Public opinion indicates that concerns about immediate social issues like child care affordability and maternal health outweigh demographic trends or incentives for larger families.

  • Approximately 75% of Americans see child care costs as a major problem and support policies like free or low-cost daycare and paid family leave.

  • Most Americans favor government efforts to improve health outcomes for women, especially Black women who face the highest maternal mortality rates in the U.S.

  • Political views influence opinions on these issues, with conservatives less likely to prioritize family growth incentives, though some support government aid to enable larger families.

  • There is a noticeable contrast between government efforts and public preferences, with the focus on economic and social support rather than policies aimed at increasing the population.

  • Many Americans believe that increasing family size could lead to higher government costs for healthcare and social programs, which influences public attitudes toward pronatalist policies.

  • Support for policies like a $5,000 baby bonus is divided, with only about one-third of Americans in favor, and overall, support for pronatalist incentives remains limited.

  • Most Americans are indifferent about the ideal number of children, often citing financial reasons for smaller families and showing little concern about the country's replacement fertility rate.

  • Cost is a significant barrier to fertility treatments like IVF, with about 40% of Americans viewing treatment costs as a major problem and many supporting insurance coverage.

  • While most Americans do not see having fewer than two children as a problem, a majority want the government to focus on improving health outcomes for women, particularly Black women.

  • Support for pronatalist policies like a baby bonus remains mixed, with some conservative Republicans more receptive, but overall, public enthusiasm is limited.

Summary based on 12 sources


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