The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate suggests that a middle-income family will spend $234,900 on raising a child to adulthood.57 To ease these costs, and the eroding foundations of Middle American family life, the federal government could, for example, expand the child tax credit to $3,000 per child and extend it not only to federal income taxes but also to payroll taxes. Such a policy could lower financial stress among young parents, in turn reducing their relationship turmoil and improving their odds for a good relationship. But what if such policies actually discourage healthy two-parent families by making single parenthood a more financially viable alternative? Are there ways to reduce the financial strain on families—all families—while not undermining the goal of making parenthood within marriage more attainable for young adults?