Wisconsin’s family strength: A snapshot of stability and the path forward - Striking a Chord…

Wisconsin’s family strength: A snapshot of stability and the path forward

When it comes to its proportion of stable, supportive families, it turns out Wisconsin is just about average.

Per Wisconsin Family Action: On Tuesday morning, the Family Structure Index was released by the Center for Christian Virtue and The Institute for Family Studies. Wisconsin ranks 24th as the strongest family culture in the country. The Family Structure Index measures which states have the most stable and sustainable families, highlighting the importance of strong families for the future of our state and nation.

The Index analyzes demographic and fertility data to determine which states are best situated to improve the prospects for happy and healthy children and the economic wellbeing of a state. Utah ranks at the top, and Rhode Island ranks last. Wisconsin came in well below a couple of our neighbors, with Minnesota ranking number 10 and Iowa number eight. Illinois and Michigan were much lower, at 41st and 38th, respectively.

Developed by Brad Wilcox, professor of sociology and director of the National Marriage Project of the University of Virginia, the Index focuses on the share of adult residents of a state who are married, have children, and raise those children together through the child’s high school years. The index showed the following: · 56.9% of adults aged 25 to 54 in Wisconsin are married.

· The average number of lifetime births per woman in the Wisconsin is just 1.65 (the total fertility rate). Replacement fertility rate is 2.1.

· 56.1% of children in Wisconsin live with their married birth or adoptive parents at ages 15 to 17.

Wisconsin Family Action also notes there is a positive correlation between healthy and stable families and the economic wellbeing of a state. Seven of the top 10 states in the Family Structure Index are also in the top 10 in the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Laffer State Economic Outlook Rankings of 2024, analyzing the states with the lowest tax and regulatory policies.

“Strong families are the foundation for a strong Wisconsin. The best long-term solution to budgetary constraints in BadgerCare, the Department of Corrections, and even in education, is to invest in the natural family where children are raised by their married biological mother and father. As the Governor prepares to deliver his budget address later today, we encourage him and the State Legislature to pass a budget that incentivizes the natural family,” asserted Wisconsin Family Action President Daniel Degner in a Feb. 18 press release.

“43.9% of teenagers in Wisconsin are raised in broken or never-formed family situations. To move Wisconsin forward our churches and our state government need to partner together in championing marriage from the pulpit and in public policy,” he added.

It’s no secret that strong marriages are a foundation to strong families, and these marriages produce better outcomes for the couple and their children. A major survey published by Harvard Medical School shows that married men are healthier overall and live longer than men who were never married or are divorced. For women, marriage provides security and a safe environment to raise children. Further, married couples also have happier, healthier relationships than cohabiting couples. Children born outside of a married mom-and-dad union are at greater risk for homelessness, drug use, child poverty, teen suicide, academic failure, teen pregnancy, and other adverse outcomes.

There are several steps that can be taken to support families from a governmental perspective. Legislators ought to prioritize policies that support families and children, such as generous paid family leave and child tax credits. On a local level, communities can strive to promote businesses that serve families and provide affordable housing options for young families. Churches, businesses, and schools can all work together to provide resources for families and opportunities to connect.

Ultimately though, if we want to increase the marriage and birth rates in our state, it involves changing the minds of young people who are in that phase of life and contemplating marriage and having children. There are several prevailing cultural mindsets that run counter to the idea of marriage and family, such as the “girl boss” attitude of a woman who doesn’t need to rely on anyone else and places her career as top priority, and a hookup culture that views sex as a casual thing rather than as a sacred experience shared between two people who are covenanted to each other. Young people also are likely to have seen plenty of examples of marriages that didn’t work out and were unhealthy or abusive, and decided they want no part in that. So, it is up to the married couples who have influence in their lives to show them an example of what a strong marriage looks like and why it is worth it. -I came across an article from Stephanie Vozza of Fast Company detailing “6 Ways To Become A Better Listener.” Since listening is a part of virtually any human interaction, it can only benefit us to learn how to listen more effectively. Here are the five tips: 1. Listen to learn, not to be polite. Be genuinely curious about what the other person has to say.

2. Quiet your agenda. This means truly focusing on the conversation and not assuming you know what the other person is going to say.

3. Ask more questions. “Listening with real intent means I’m going to be open to being very wrong, and I’m comfortable with that in this conversation,” says Hal Gregersen, executive director of the MIT Leadership Center.

4. Pay attention to your talk/listen ratio. 5. Repeat back what you heard. This helps to ensure you are understanding what the other person intended to say.

6. Actually wait until someone is done talking before you respond. Otherwise, you miss out on the other person’s complete thought and the emotion behind it.

Hope these tips are helpful, and have a joy-filled week!