I was listening to a radio call-in show today that was discussing declining marriage and birth rates in Canada. It was interesting enough that I decided to do some googling about birth rates in Canada, and I found this really interesting article online from Macleans magazine.
Several callers on the radio program today mentioned incentives as a way to increase the birth rate. My gut reaction was that I couldn’t imagine incentives would increase the birth rate. I have a child, and my decision to have a baby or not was not influenced by any baby bonus I would receive. The article points out that I’m not alone. Cash incentives for babies, while nice, don’t affect birth rate. After all, no government can come close to covering the costs that come with childrearing. Incentives that contribute to a better work-life balance, on the other hand, those make a difference.
This all makes sense to me, as a working mother. The prospect of more generous maternity leaves, more affordable high-quality childcare, or more flexibility in the workplace could really make a difference for me, and I can only imagine for most other families too. It’s expensive, though, and there are so many demands on public funds. Still, I think it’s food for thought. Do we, as a society, really value families? Do we view children as blessings or burdens? And, are we willing to put our money where our mouth is?
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