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...
... middle of paper ...
...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. .
Turner, Janice. "Should We Need a License to Be a Parent?" Respond in Writing. Ed.
All the benefits provided by CAPTA are important, but one highly important benefit CAPTA provides for infants and children is that all allegations of child abuse and neglect must be investigated to ensure the well-being and safety of every infant and child. After allegations of child abuse and neglect are reported an investigation is the next step in protecting every child. Another benefit of CAPTA for infants and children is that if the heart wrenching experience of child abuse or neglect occur the state CPS systems and private organizations are trained and prepared to provide treatment for the child. In a like manner, CAPTA provides benefits for women and families by providing support and services that address domestic violence. CAPTA also promotes family involvement in all aspects of a CPS case involving child abuse and neglect. The states benefit by the foundation that CAPTA sets regarding the functioning of CPS systems and in a financial aspect. CAPTA provides funding to “Support child abuse and prevention activities by funding discretionary grants to states and/or public or private agencies or organizations” (California Department of Child Services, 2011). Everyone benefits when CPS systems according to CAPTA policies, “The act’s sponsors meant to feature three important themes of CPS reform in these amendments, including encouraging the involvement of family members in a child welfare agency’s decisions process; promoting and enhancing COS collaboration with domestic violence services and substance abuse treatment programs, and increasing the use of differential response by states through the use of noninvestigative/nonaccusatory approach to responding to reports of child maltreatment” (American Bar Association,
Kathryn Lofton examines the history of religions and its association with the authority in American parenting. She demonstrates this through her analysis of the evolution of parenting from Colonial America to the 21st Century, parents as religious agents, the politics, science and service of parenting, and the market, or child-rearing manuals, for parenting. Lofton seeks to argue that “there has been a persistent relationship between religious ideation and parental religious practice in the twentieth century” (23). She makes the conclusion that the expectations of the meaning of parenthood have actually become more orthodox in the sense that more people treat parenting very religiously. The subject matter of this essay argues that the belief
In what situation is it justifiably reasonable for the government to intervene in the process of child development, before the child is born or after? Is it logical or ethical to play eugenics in the sake of raising children for a better future? In Hugh LaFollete’s essay “Licensing Parents”, he offers a new approach to parenting, the right to license parents. LaFollete argues that the licensing of parents is not only “theoretically desirable”, he also lays out how licensing could be established by talking about the “rights to have a child”. And although LaFollete does makes a good point about why licensing parents is a good idea, I will also point out some flaws in his essay to his position.
Throughout Lafrance’s article, she uses sources to help voice her argument and to fortify her credibility and appeal to ethos. For instance, Lafrance starts by drawing attention to a count of highly educated professions in which according to her are “in early stage of designing a public-health campaign to draw attention to what they say is an inherent conflict between a parent’s freedom to publish and a child’s right to privacy.” By doing so, Lafrance establishes that the issue she is trying to argue is relevant to begin with. Lafrance continues by citing a professor at the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law and also mentions he is the associate director of the school’s Center on Children and Families. By doing so, she establishes that she has an expert source to back her up on her issue; further enhancing her credibility. Furthermore, Lafrance’s piece
Couples, who for some reason are unable to have babies on their own; should consider adoption before began investigated other option to become a parents. But I am not talking just for traditional couples, I am talking for people who are not married, or a couple of the same sex as well. In one article of The New York Times, we can read, that Arkansas is one of the first states if is not the only one, to allow an unmarried couple or a gay couple to be eligible to adopt or be foster parents “Children need loving ...
With the increase of divorce and the number of children being born out of wedlock, parental alienation continues to grow. With custody laws changing, allowing for equal opportunities for both parents to raise their children, and fathers beginning to fight for their right to be involved, not just every other weekend fathers, custody battles have become increasingly fierce. Another factor contributing to this is the fact that many courts consider who will be more willing to encourage the child to have a heathly and continuing relationship with the other parent.
In Hugh Lafollette’s paper, “Licensing Parents” he talks about the need for government licensing of parents. His argument states that for any activity that is harmful to others, requires competence, and has a reliable procedure for determining competence, should require licensing by the government. This argument relates to parenting because it can be harmful to children, requires competence to raise those children, and we can assume that a reliable procedure can be formulated. Therefore, parenting should require licensing by the government. I agree with Lafollette and shall focus on supporting him by addressing the most practical objections: There is no reliable procedure for identifying competent parents and it is impossible to reasonably enforce parent regulations. I shall address these objections and their reasoning, followed by responses that Lafollette and myself would most likely have, thereby refuting the objections.
noble, kenneth. "THE NATION; PRO & CON: HOW MUCH GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO FOR PARENTS." New York Times 1 may 1988, Print.
Rosen, Christine. "The Parents Who Don't Want To Be Adults." Commentary 127.7 (2009): 31. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
Although LaFollette responds to many objections in his argument, his rationale for licensing is still flawed. As he explains, our objection that “since people have a right to have children, any attempt to license parents would be unjust” (LaFollette) is dismissible because our right is given under the circumstance that we are capable of raising them. While I agree with LaFollette that we need minimum competency to raise children, his argument is established from invalidly comparing parenting and adopting. Adopting is distinctive from parenting. By adopting children, we are claiming ownership over them, so necessary steps are crucial to ensure adoptive parents are able to raise children without
Child abuse is a social problem in America that has many contributed factors. Factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect includes poverty, divorce, substance use, lack of education, stress due to unemployment, mental health issues, teenage parent, and a history of child abuse in the family. It took decades for physicians to conclude that parents have been violently assaulting their children. Child abuse, child labor, juvenile delinquency, and similar social questions historically were ethical and moral problems, not strictly medical ones. (Helfer, Kempe, & Krugman, 1997). In 1962, the Journal of American Medical Association published “The Battered-Child Syndrome.” The article transformed society’s views and dates the rediscovery of child abuse as a social problem. Following this article, the U.S. Children’s Bureau adopted the first laws mandating physicians to report any suspicions of abuse and neglect to the police or child welfare. By 1974, some 60,000 cases were reported. In 1980, the number exceeded one million (Myers J. E., 2004).
When applying for any job, a few things they ask for is a resume, job experience, and training. Some jobs also have restrictions such as one’s age. Others may require certain educational levels, reliable transportation, or even a license of some sort. Being a full-time mother or father is considered a job by many yet, unlike regular jobs, there are no restrictions, no training, or any experience necessary to become a parent. Being a proper parent is the most valuable job yet the easiest to obtain. This leads to many adults being unfit parents with a lack of knowledge or will to raise children. A few areas people should be required to be approved or trained in before becoming parents are:
Hamilton, B. E., J. A. Martin, and S. J. Ventura. "Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing." The Office of Adolescent Health/OAH, 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 17.
Some parents believe that while they had a partner who equally contributed in the making of a life that was brought into the world, they should be held accountable and be responsible for the child as well. Whether or not the parents of the child are married, it is possible for both parents to remain active participants in the child’s life and still share the responsibility of raising them. When you are a single, adult person, you have one main responsibility, and that is the responsibility to care for yourself. That’s it, just you! However, when you and your partner or significant other agrees to have children, you must understand that the duty of raising healthy, responsible individuals starts with understanding the role as parents. Of course you don’t have to be a perfect parent to raise healthy, highly intelligent children. You are, however, absolutely crucial in your child’s life simply because you are your child’s parent. We only have one chance with our children, so while they are young, we must make the most of it. This is the window of opportunity to build a...