WASHINGTON—The state of the American family is in crisis, with a low marriage rate, a low fertility rate, and an epidemic of broken homes. Without the formation and stability of families, America will not survive.  

That’s why The Heritage Foundation has released the first in a series of special reports that outline the conservative vision for renewing American families. “Saving America by Saving the Family” presents a comprehensive examination of the current state of the American family, along with innovative solutions to encourage family formation. 

Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action for America president Dr. Kevin Roberts made the following comment on this groundbreaking report:  

“The family is the foundation of every healthy society, and, tragically, the American family is on the brink. We are dangerously close to being unable to reverse the decline.  Our country will not survive if families continue to crumble at this rate.

“If we want to secure the Golden Age of America, we must have bold solutions like those in this report that lay the foundation for stronger families. Strong families build strong communities, churches, schools, and businesses. Without them, freedom cannot last.  

“Heritage is excited to put forth innovative ideas that not only help American families live the good life but also encourage more young American adults to marry and create families of their own. This includes directing our government to stop penalizing marriage, support those who want to get married, reduce waste in Washington, and reward family formation across the country.” 

Roger Severino, vice president for Heritage’s Economic and Domestic Policy, added the following: 

“There is nothing more important than the future of the American family, and we know that committed, fruitful marriage is the linchpin to its restoration. 

“Our report calls for new investment from private, non-profit, and government sectors to back the bedrock of flourishing societies—the traditional family. 

“Government, in particular, must choose a side. It must stop being hostile or indifferent to marriage and family, and become fully supportive in all it does, from rhetoric, to law, to programs, grants, to regulations.” 

The Special Report’s policy proposals encompass three broad focuses: 

Stop Punishing Married Families 

• Congress and the administration should eliminate all marriage penalties in welfare programs, impose work requirements, and end waste, fraud, and abuse. 

Start Supporting Married Families 

• As the federal government has exploded in size, the average family has shrunk. This is not a coincidence. 

• President Trump should issue a series of executive orders requiring every grant, contract, policy, regulation, research project, and enforcement action involving the federal government to explicitly measure how it helps or harms marriage and family, and block or support those actions accordingly. 

Restore the American Dream 

• Build on Trump Accounts with $2,500 deposits into new investment accounts for newborns, redeemable upon reaching the landmarks of adulthood and marriage. 

• Create a parallel credit to the current $17,670 adoption tax credit by making those amounts available to married parents for each of their newborns, with a 25% bonus for families with three or more children. 

• Make the value of every credit, program, and tax benefit provided for paid childcare available for at-home parental child raising. 

“We will need these initiatives and an accompanying cultural renewal to save and restore the American family,” Severino added. 

Read the full report here.