Republican Party on Families & Children

	Republican Party on Families & Children Party Platform

Link child-support enforcement to workforce development

Better Connect Child-Support Enforcement Programs to Workforce Development Activities:

Engaging non-custodial parents in work and work-related activities increases their earnings and, as a result, child-support collections, which both help provide a more stable environment for children. The potential solution lies with better connecting child-support enforcement programs to ongoing workforce development activities within a state, and helping to provide the skills and work-based learning opportunities needed to find and keep full-time employment. This effort must not duplicate existing programs or efforts, but make a point to connect and include non-custodial parents as eligible participants in such programs. In addition, better coordinating the child support enforcement program with other programs, much like is currently done with TANF, will help in prioritizing parental financial responsibilities for children.

Source: A Better Way: Our Vision for Upward Mobility (GOP Blueprint) , Jun 7, 2016

Head Start does not deliver lasting results to at-risk kids

If a child does not have a home environment allowing them to develop the academic, social, and cognitive skills necessary to succeed in school, then he or she is less likely to succeed later in life.

Recognizing this need, Congress created the Head Start program in 1965. Since then, the number of federal programs providing support services to young children has exploded to 45 separate programs at a cost of more than $14 billion a year.

Virtually every program has a separate set of rules and reporting requirements that are difficult to navigate and impossible to align with community-based services. Fragmentation and program overlap create unnecessary administrative costs. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services found the few gains children receive in the Head Start program seldom last through the end of third grade, and the few gains that were found did not show a clear pattern of favorable or unfavorable impacts for children.

Source: A Better Way: Our Vision for Upward Mobility (GOP Blueprint) , Jun 7, 2016

OpEd: Make common cause with pro-family Hispanics

Certainly the most important characteristics most conservatives and Hispanics share are religious and family values. Hispanics tend to be deeply religious, to practice conservative forms of Christianity, and to be politically influenced by their religion But conservatism among religious Hispanics has not translated into Republican partisan affiliation. Democrats outnumber Republicans by 55 to 18% among Hispanic Catholics.

Those findings reflect huge growth opportunities for Republicans. Obviously, a large part of Republican electoral successes since 1980 is attributable to mobilization of religious voters, particularly evangelicals. Republicans should make a similar effort to connect with Hispanics on religious faith and moral values. In particular, given the tremendous attachment among Hispanics to their families, policies that are pro-family are pro-Hispanic. That is an important message that Republicans need to communicate, and on which they can make common cause with Hispanics.

Source: Immigration Wars, by Jeb Bush, p.219-221 , Mar 5, 2013

Include internet porn in enforcement of obscenity laws

A change in the Republican Party Platform to target illegal adult pornography will protect children, as well as families, from the scourge of hardcore pornography. So says the president of Morality In Media (MIM): "Distribution of obscene or hardcore pornography on the Internet is a violation of current federal law,. Yet, most children in America have free access to obscene pornography as soon as they learn how to use a computer. The average age of first exposure to obscene Internet pornography is now 11."

The new platform language replaces previous platform wording, which only opposed child pornography. It will now read, "Current laws on all forms of pornography and obscenity need to be vigorously enforced."

In 2010, MIM and the Family Research Council initiated The War On Illegal Pornography coalition a program to get federal laws on adult pornography vigorously enforced.

Source: EndSexualExploitation.org on 2012 Republican Party Platform , Aug 28, 2012

Tolerance of abortion & gay marriage sign of dying society

If a society is voluntarily not having enough children to replace itself, then that should be a warning that the values of that society are decaying. The natural drive for creating life has diminished.

The tolerance towards abortion, gay marriage, and single lifestyles in America is the result of a dying society. Those are the symptoms of a set of values that lead to the death of a nation. The real issue is that America does not cherish life creation as our founding fathers did.

Source: Rules for Conservatives, by M.C.Master, p.182 , Feb 21, 2012

Families are the cornerstone of our culture

Families are the cornerstone of our culture-the building blocks of a strong society. In families, children learn values and ideals, as well as the basic lessons that get them started on a lifelong path of education. We believe that every child deserves the chance to be born and grow up in a loving family. We also believe that while families exist in many different forms, there are ideals to strive for. Evidence shows us that children have the best chance at success when raised by a mother and a father who love and respect each other as well as their children. We also know that family breakdown makes America less stable. To create a sturdy foundation for the strength and success of our citizens and our nation, Republicans support policies that promote strong families. We also support a government that makes it easier for parents to raise their children in a world that offers unprecedented opportunities and new challenges. We offer an approach based on our common values and our common hopes. Source: 2004 Republican Party Platform, p. 81 , Sep 1, 2004

Support abstinence and fatherhood

We call for replacing “family planning” programs for teens with funding for abstinence education. We urge states to enforce laws against statutory rape. We support the establishment of Second Chance Maternity Homes. Because many youngsters fall into poverty as a result of divorce, we also encourage states to support projects that strengthen marriage. We support initiatives that strengthen marriage rates and promote committed fatherhood. Source: Republican Platform adopted at GOP National Convention , Aug 12, 2000

Reduce child welfare caseloads & encourage adoption

We must decrease abuse caseloads and increase accountability in the child protection system. We propose to restructure that system by combining the separate and competing funding sources into a Child Protection Block Grant with guaranteed levels of funding. We call for the stringent enforcement of laws against the abuse of children. Government should work with faith-based groups that provide adoption services. We call for local efforts to help the children of prisoners. Source: Republican Platform adopted at GOP National Convention , Aug 12, 2000

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