As the birthrate continues to drop, policymakers are exploring ideas of how to address it, including one-time payments per birth. While providing a one-time financial incentive to have a child may seem like an effective way to increase births, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the true costs of parenthood.

A better way to help people who want to have children is ensuring they have the resources they need to be able to afford parenthood. Families need to be able to take time away from work to care for a new child and people need time to care for themselves. And, families need a transformational solution to the rising costs of child care.