1. United States
2. Ill.
3. Letter

I am writing not just as a concerned citizen, but as someone who is deeply frustrated by the direction this country is taking when it comes to addressing our most personal and human choices—like whether or not to have children. The idea of giving Americans $5,000 to have a child might seem like a generous incentive on paper, but let’s be honest—it’s an insult when viewed against the reality we’re living in. Families across the country are struggling to make ends meet. Healthcare costs are out of control. Childcare is unaffordable. Housing is increasingly out of reach. Schools don’t feel safe. Jobs don’t pay enough or offer the flexibility we need to care for our families. You cannot throw a price tag on a life decision as serious as starting or growing a family. We are not statistics. We are not economic units. And we are certainly not livestock to be coaxed into reproducing for the sake of the economy. If the government truly wants to encourage family growth, then start by creating a country where people feel safe, supported, and optimistic about the future. Give us: Affordable, accessible healthcare. Paid family leave and workplace protections. Quality education and safe schools. A living wage and job security. Affordable housing and lower costs of living. Stop treating us like breeding stock in a broken system. If you want to see birth rates rise, then give people a reason to believe their children will grow up in a country that values their well-being—not just their potential to spend money or drive economic growth. Americans don’t need a $5,000 bribe. We need real, systemic change. We need leaders with the courage to tackle the actual reasons people are putting off having families. Please do better. We’re not asking for handouts—we’re asking for a country that values us as human beings.