Baby Cooperatives: Rethinking the Nature of Family
59 Pages Posted: 19 Jul 2012
Date Written: March 11, 2012
Abstract
The foster care funding system is rooted in historic ideology rather than pragmatic reasoning suited to children’s needs today. It creates perverse economic incentives and promotes rent-seeking behavior; as a result, it bears poor outcomes. Baby Cooperatives provides a new way of thinking of family that develops a contact-based, civil union model and expands it to permit 2-5 persons to join in a legalized parenting “family.” The article explains the policy framework, and sets forth and applies an eight-point test that such cooperatives must meet.
Keywords: adoption, foster care, family, child abuse, economics, civil unions, cooperatives, kibbutz
JEL Classification: H11, H31, H53, H54, I12, I18, I30, I31, I32, I38, I39, J12, J13, J15, J16, J18, J54, K12, P46
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation