Putting Children's Interests First in US Family Law and Policy: With Power Comes Responsibility

The well-being of children should be a social priority, and should consider the family circumstances into which children are born. Putting Children's Interests First in US Family Law and Policy: With Power Comes Responsibility details the rise of a federal policy of 'sexual expressionism', which prioritizes adults' interests over children's welfare. It describes the costs to children in the areas of family structure and stability, and the federal programs attempting to ameliorate the situation of non-marital children. Offering a detailed empirical and ethical critique both of 'sexual expressionism' and of the related federal programs, this study will be of interest to scholars and activists supporting children, women and the poor.

Introduction; 1. The rise of sexual expressionism; 2. Non-marital birth and child outcomes; 3. To treat the wounded or to prevent their birth: two federal responses; 4. An ethical and anthropological critique; 5. Conclusion and recommendations.