“Strong families need to be a national priority,” expressed Melissa S. Kearney, the Neil Moskowitz Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland.
In her forum address at the Marriott Center, Kearney spoke on the importance of marriage and family, emphasizing the positive economic and personal impact it has.
“I am convinced, based on data and evidence, that the declining share of children living in a married-parent home is both a cause and consequence of economic and social challenges facing our nation,” Kearney said.
Drawing on decades of research, Kearney focused on the critical role of the family in addressing poverty, income inequality and social mobility. She explained that children growing up outside two-parent households face notable disadvantages, with higher poverty rates and lower chances of academic and economic success compared to those raised in married-parent homes.
Marriage has thus become increasingly tied to economic privilege, with significant consequences for children’s well-being.
“Research has established a clear link between family structure and children’s outcomes both at an individual level and a community level,” Kearney explained.
Kearney taught that addressing these challenges requires supporting single parents, fostering healthy relationships and creating economic pathways to stability, particularly for less-educated individuals to reverse the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage.
“To improve the lives of American children, to reduce poverty and income inequality, and to close class and racial gaps in society, we need to make strong families a national priority,” Kearney said.
Kearney advocates for integrating family structure into discussions of inequality and economic insecurity to ensure better outcomes for future generations. Research confirms that family structure strongly influences children’s outcomes.
“Above all, we need to do so much more to take care of the children in this country and make sure no child is left to endure poverty and hardship because of the situation they were born into,” Kearney concluded.
