http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2...ire-a-license/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...icensed-parent
As the title says, should parenting require a license or parenting courses?
1. Parenting is one of the most important roles a human being can fill in their lives. A parent's behavior has a direct impact on not only a child's immediate physical and psychological well being, but also that child's ability to one day become a healthy, functioning adult member of society.
2. Bad parenting is very expensive to taxpayers. Neglected and abused children often end up as wards of the court, costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year due to the state being responsible for providing food and shelter for children who end up in the system. Children who develop psychological disorders become less productive members of society as adults as well--abused children are less likely to continue on to college and graduate school, make less income, and are less productive at work in comparison to their peers. The fiscal cost of lost productivity from American workers due to depression and depressive-related disorders alone is estimated to be in excess of $31 billion per year.
3. Bad parenting is arguably more dangerous than drinking, flying a plane or driving a car, yet all three have an age requirement and 2 out of 3 require licensure. Why not parenting?
4. Regulation of who can or cannot parent would potentially be extremely difficult to do and can be very expensive, and may be seen by some as invading upon our basic human rights.