2026
Volume 26, Number 1, pp. 51-55
A new marriage contract - a new contract for parents?
P. Inson
Swallows, 6 Dormy Houses, East Rd, East Mersea CO5 8UW, England.
According to Google, women in England and Wales had an average of 1.44 children between 2022 and 2023, the lowest rate on record. Google continues: the falling birth rate in the UK is a cause for concern due to its potential impact on the economy, public services, and the social fabric of the country. A declining birth rate leads to an aging population, which can strain healthcare, social care, and pension systems, while also potentially reducing the workforce and economic growth. According to the Centre for Social Justice, the UK has a high rate of family breakdown compared to other developed nations. Statistics from GOV.UK show that there are millions of separated families and children living in separated households. This breakdown can have a range of negative impacts on mental and physical health, and on children’s well-being, such as: educational underachieve¬ment, drug addiction, alcoholism, serious personal debt, reliance on benefits, mental health issues, homeles¬sness, trouble with the police and teenage pregnancy. Meanwhile the UK government is implementing measures such as increased free childcare which is expected to reduce the financial burden on parents and potentially encourage them to have more children. How then might we ensure that it is only responsible parenthood that is encouraged, that all babies are born to be responsibly cared for because all parents have to meet the particular expectations made of those who seek to adopt or foster a child?