Advantages of Having Parenting License

Hugh LaFollette, A professor at the University of South Florida, Wrote an essay on the benefits of licensing parents. While this idea would prevent dangerous situations for kids, many do not agree with the idea. In this essay, I will be arguing That a parent license is not only important for parents, but also for children and they’re health.

Many people believe that being required to get a Parenting License would make the desire to have kids decrease, since people will not want to go through the training required. While the intent of the license would not be to deter people away from having kids, I can see the validity in the above argument. Many parents have different parenting styles and a difference in the way they want to raise their kids. The license could potentially go against or contradict how they want to raise their kids. Many people don’t want to be told how to raise their child and in what way. Another argument is that the potential parents to be might not have the money or time to attend the required training. This argument also is seen as very valid because grown adults are very much preoccupied with work and other responsibilities. While many lower class families may not be able to afford to take the classes, preventing them from having a kid. A growing fear is that their children might be taken away at the slightest mishandling. This argument is also extremely valid as it proves that there might be a flaw in the system itself and is too restrictive to parents, especially newer ones who don’t know any better.

While all the arguments above are incredibly valid, the health and safety of a child must be valued at more than time or money. To argue the first argument, If being required to take a class and get a license prevents you from wanting to have a kid, then you shouldn’t have a kid. If sometime that’s as easy as attending a class and taking a test prevents you from wanting to have a child, then what will keep you wanting to take care of a child? The second argument is a bit more persuasive. Money can be a big issue for lower income families and while it should not be the determining factor in becoming a parent, it is important that you have enough money to properly take care of your child. If time is the issue, the argument comes up as to when you will have time for your child as well. If you don’t have enough time for classes that may take up a couple of hours a few times a week, then how will you be expected to take care of a child which requires a lot more time and effort to look after. The last argument is that parents don’t want to be told how to raise their child. Lots of people get the idea that getting a license will tell them how to specifically raise their child, but the training and classes will be more focused on how to make sure your child is cared for, what to do if they’re sick, or how to help them if they’re choking or in danger. The license will not restrict you from raising a child with a certain religion or certain political views. The license and classes overall would benefit not only new parents who need all the help they can get and also help the child they are raising. The benefits outweigh the prerequisites for achieving this license which is why I believe a parenting license would benefit all parents.

Overall, the benefits of a potential parenting license are extremely valuable, there are still many reasons why people may not want them. However, the overall safety, wellbeing, and health of the child should be more persuasive than other reasons stopping them. 

Works Cited

1. LaFollette, H. (2015). Licensing parents. In D. Archard & D. Benatar (Eds.), Procreation and Parenthood: The Ethics of Bearing and Rearing Children (pp. 176-190). Oxford University Press.
2. Caruso, G. D. (2017). Parent licensing: A philosophical analysis. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 34(2), 211-228.
3. Daniels, N. (1988). Just health care. Cambridge University Press.
4. Dwyer, S. (2011). The ethics of parenting. Oxford University Press.
5. Feinberg, J. (1980). Rights, justice, and the bounds of liberty: Essays in social philosophy. Princeton University Press.
6. Fourie, C. (2016). Should prospective parents be licensed? Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 19(2), 413-428.
7. Fuscaldo, G. (2005). Should prospective parents be licensed? Bioethics, 19(1), 27-49.
8. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). License. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary.
9. Sarbescu, P. (2019). Licensing parents: A response to critics. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 36(1), 54-69.
10. Wertheimer, A. (1987). Coercion. Princeton University Press.