Some people express concern for the falling birth rate in the U.S., despite the fact that increasing population is devastating the environment we depend on. But these are generally the same people who are opposed to government aid to women and children.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/07/reverse-birth-tourists-americans-are-having-babies-abroad
Malia Politzer and Emily Feldman
Fri 7 Aug 2020 04.00 EDT
ast year, more than 66,000 Americans had babies abroad. The government doesn’t ask parents why they’re overseas. But “expat” motivation surveys, migration experts and interviews with over a dozen Americans around the world reveal that many leave home, at least in part, to escape the crushing financial and personal costs of starting a family in the United States.
The US has some of the highest childcare costs in the world – even Americans with employer-provided insurance can expect to pay an average of $4,569 in out-of-pocket childbirth fees. It is the only high-income country that doesn’t mandate paid maternity leave, and has longer workweeks (and less paid time off) than most other developed countries. The price of infant care tops $15,000 a year in some parts of the country and is expected to rise as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is why American “birth migrants” are seeking refuge from unique US burdens in countries with either lower costs of living or more government support for parents and children.
We present four women’s stories – and how much they paid in total.
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Sarah Samoranos, 31, marketing professional, France: ‘I was expecting to pay thousands of euros’
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Total cost of childbirth: $0
On maternity leave: I had a real fear of telling the people at my job that I was pregnant, like am I still going to have an income? But with my company, I received 100% of my current pay for maternity leave – except times two, because I had twins.
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Yolanda Muñoz Lozano, 39, doctoral candidate in architecture and researcher, Chile: ‘The government pays for your daycare until the baby is two years old’
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Out-of-pocket cost for delivery, including a C-section and four-day hospital stay: $350. Cost of premium health insurance: $195 per month
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Michele Bradford, 44, international development program director, Turkey: ‘I don’t understand how people function in America’
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Total cost for an emergency C-section at a private hospital, including five days in a private room: $4,000
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