Brookings Institution scholar Richard Reeves released a report last week, “Where's the Glue? Policies to Close the Family Gap,” providing analysis and recommendations for improving family stability and outcomes for children. There's much to laud in the paper as it relates to building the economic and social capacity of families. And there is one big blind-spot.
Reeves lays out a persuasive case for a variety of policies that might help individuals to avoid negative outcomes, like unplanned births, while investing in strategies that show evidence of boosting earning power (skills training, expanding the EITC) and social capital (parenting education and programs that help poor families move to better neighborhoods). In one remarkable paragraph, however, he disavows the idea that the federal government should be spending money on helping low-income couples establish and maintain healthy marriages. The message seems to be we can do just about anything to help struggling families but please don't talk about marriage.
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