A report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that nearly 4 out of 10 babies are now born out of wedlock. This has huge policy implications, as this Washington Post story points out:

Others said that although the shift may represent some positive changes, the trend is disturbing because studies have shown that children generally tend to fare better when they grow up in stable households with two parents.

“We know that babies and children do best with committed, stable adult parents – preferably married,” said Sarah Brown of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “That tends to be the arrangement that produces the best outcome for children. I look at this and say, ‘Maybe this trend is what young adults want … but it’s not in the best interest of children.’ “

James Q. Wilson summed things up in this 2002 City Journal piece in which he summarizes the work of William Galston, an advisor to former president Bill Clinton, on how not to become poor.

Now that our social security and pension systems have dramatically reduced poverty among the elderly, growing up with only one parent has dramatically increased poverty among children. In this country we have managed to shift poverty from old folks to young folks. Former Clinton advisor William Galston sums up the matter this way: you need only do three things in this country to avoid poverty—finish high school, marry before having a child, and marry after the age of 20. Only 8 percent of the families who do this are poor; 79 percent of those who fail to do this are poor.

Morality aside, we should all be concerned about the impact of out-of-wedlock births on public services and the social safety net.