To the Editor:
Re “Would $5,000 Bonuses Spur New Baby Boom?” and “E.P.A. Poised to Cancel Grants to Study Dangers to Children” (front page, April 22):
What an extraordinary juxtaposition of articles on the front page!
On the one hand, President Trump wants to encourage larger families (“I want a baby boom”), including a proposal to give $5,000 cash bonuses to mothers of newborns (child support that in itself would be supported by Democrats like me).
On the other hand, in the adjacent article we learn that the administration is set to cancel tens of millions of dollars in grants to scientists studying environmental hazards faced by children in America, especially in poor and rural areas, such as pesticides, poor air quality and “forever chemicals.”
Mr. Trump’s hypocrisy is clear. While wanting to increase the number of children being born, he cuts programs to protect their health before and after birth.
John Mason
Santa Rosa, Calif.
To the Editor:
“Would $5,000 Bonuses Spur New Baby Boom?” describes several incentives the White House is considering implementing to increase U.S. birthrates, including monetary compensation and medals for women who give birth. These incentives will fail because they focus on rewarding individual women rather than on improving broader economic, social and political factors.
Most young adults want to have kids in the future. But they want to do so in safe, stable environments where they feel connected across generations and supported in communities. The hardships of raising families at a time of increased social isolation, political polarization and soaring health care and child care costs give potential future parents pause. Furthermore, growing restrictions on reproductive rights and rising rates of maternal mortality make many women feel undervalued and unsafe.
If the U.S. government really wants to incentivize birth, it should work to improve the lives of women and children already living in this country. Start by improving the institutions that families depend on — from health care to schools, housing to infrastructure. If people experience a supportive world, they may want to reproduce and ensure its future.
