The reverse birth tourists: US women seek cheaper countries to have babies

Americans are choosing to have babies abroad to avoid the crushing maternity and childcare costs in the US

Last year, more than 66,000 Americans had babies abroad. The government doesn’t ask parents why they’re overseas. But “expat” motivation surveys, migration experts and interviews with over a dozen Americans around the world reveal that many leave home, at least in part, to escape the crushing financial and personal costs of starting a family in the United States.

The US has some of the highest childcare costs in the world – even Americans with employer-provided insurance can expect to pay an average of $4,569 in out-of-pocket childbirth fees. It is the only high-income country that doesn’t mandate paid maternity leave, and has longer workweeks (and less paid time off) than most other developed countries. The price of infant care tops $15,000 a year in some parts of the country and is expected to rise as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2PyV59n