A License Should Be Required To Be A Parent

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Recommended: Current policies and procedures in relation to child protection

From everyday experiences to recent news stories, I have come across many issues that large families face in America. Poverty and child abuse are top issues in the United States. For this reason, I believe the government should start regulating the number of children people can have based on financial stability, place of residence, criminal history, and other qualifications. The ideal American family image is one that provides parents that gracefully accommodate and nurture their children with open arms, financial cohesion, warm meals, and a roof over their heads. Although one might think these characteristics are a given, they are not as common as the general population widely assumes. There are many individuals deemed “unfit parents” who, despite complaints and adequate resources, continue to reproduce, putting children’s lives at stake. This brings up the question at hand: should up and coming parents be required to obtain a license to start a family?

As a brief history, Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies were founded after the 1974 CAPTA was passed, which mandated that all states establish procedures to investigate suspected incidents of child maltreatment. In the 1940s and 1950s, due to advancements in the medical field, the medical profession began to take notice of what they thought to be the abuse of children. In 1961, C. Henry Kempe began to further research this issue, eventually discovering battered child syndrome. Data collected from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that in 2011, over 676,000 children were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect. Previously, neglect was the most common form of child abuse, but victims also suffered from physical abuse, sexual abuse and psy...

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...edia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. .

2. "Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing." U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Office of Adolescent Health, 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. .

3. LaFollette, Hugh. "Licensing Parents." Licensing Parents. Philosophy and Public Affairs, n.d. Web. .

4. Westman, Jack C. "The Rationale and Feasibility of Licensing Parents." Frontline. PBS, n.d. Web. .

5. Unknown. "Should We Need A License To Be A Parent?" Mibba. N.p., 2009. Web. .

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