This Christmas, Lawmakers Can Help Struggling Families | Opinion

Welcoming a child into the world changes people, as all of a sudden the needs of an innocent, helpless person become the center of a family. It's a profound transformation that goes beyond getting accustomed to sleepless nights or studying parenting books at midnight. Sometimes young families can't catch any breaks—despite the systems in place to help. That was my experience in 2000 after giving birth to my first son.

Arriving five weeks ahead of his due date with a diagnosis of hydronephrosis, my son changed my life forever. Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidneys are not functioning well, becoming enlarged and leading to all kind of problems if not treated.

I had health insurance through my husband, but the extra time in the hospital for me along with intensive care for my son put us over the amount I had budgeted. Adding to the stress, I—like 80 percent of Americans today—did not have maternity leave. I had used most of my paid time off for the doctor visits leading up to our son's birth.

Fortunately, my husband's employer graciously gave him five extra days of paid leave due to the emergency surrounding our delivery, giving him two weeks to help me during my postpartum recovery and extra time with our son, which all fathers need to help them bond with their babies. And it does a lot for moms too.

Before my son was born, we were a two-income family and hit the median income for our county. But with a newborn, we faced the dilemma many new parents do. When does mom go back to work? Is it full-time or part-time? What does child care look like and what will it cost?

As a family in the middle, we were lost in no man's land. We faced unplanned hospital bills—a surprise expense that most Americans even today can't cover. So, I rolled up my sleeves to look for available help.

Unfortunately, government programs didn't help families like mine. I applied for every form of assistance available—from the WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) food program to commuting stipends to community help—but we didn't qualify, each time barely missing the criteria for the program. The reasons were different every time: my husband made a hundred dollars too much a month after taxes; our car's bluebook value was over $5,000; only full-time child care costs would qualify. Every rejection left us feeling desperate... but not desperate enough for public officials to help.

I know I am not alone in this middle place where people can't qualify for government programs, despite great need. It's ironic that at a time of life in which young, working families are investing in both the next generation and their own careers, they don't always have the resources that later will bless them as a family.

The fear many conservatives have in addressing these needs is unintentionally creating a state of permanent welfare. But there are ways to help families fill in the gaps after they give birth—and throughout parenthood.

Offering hope to families on the margins are several paid leave plans now under consideration in Congress.

In an effort to be fiscally neutral, some of these plans utilize Social Security savings to assist with paid leave for families of a newborn or newly adopted child. By borrowing from and paying back their own retirement funds, both mothers and fathers can get up to three months of paid leave, allowing time to physically recover from birth, to bond with their baby, and to be spared crushing debt.

With 71 percent of registered voters supporting paid leave for parents, this issue should be common ground for both conservatives and liberals. Healthy families are a protection for us all, and certainly for the children who are our next generation as well as future taxpayers.

As families grow and face milestones, the Child Tax Credit offers another way to help them address new demands. Many families experience unexpected expenses throughout the year. I remember when all three of my boys busted out of their tennis shoes in the same week, and I was up against it to buy three pairs of shoes.

I did what most families do, using credit cards to fill in the gaps. But the Child Tax Credit helped us each year to catch up and stay out of debt. Almost one in four families with small children use this credit to subsidize child care costs.

This year we have the opportunity to let our legislators know that the Child Tax Credit carves a pathway of possibility for all communities to grow and build their families. It needs to be extended.

Especially at Christmas time, as we're reminded of the story of a struggling young family, we need to be creative in helping those doing the hard work of raising a child.

I could have used this help, but I'm fighting for my own children to have this support as they are entering adulthood and marriage, hopefully making me a grandmother one day.

Tina Whittington is Students for Life of America Executive Vice President and a working mother of four.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.