A new policy report from Independent Women is calling for broad changes to federal and state policy aimed at lowering costs and giving families more flexibility in how they work, raise children, care for aging relatives and manage household expenses.
The organization released “Flourishing Families: An Agenda to Help Families Thrive” on Monday, outlining proposals across eight areas: paid leave, child care, education, elder care, health care, flexible work, housing affordability, and taxes and social support.
The report is built around a central argument that government regulations and one-size-fits-all policies can raise costs and reduce options for families.
Carrie Lukas, president of Independent Women and a co-author of the report, said the goal is to make it easier for families to function across different stages of life, including when raising children or caring for older relatives.
On paid leave, the report favors expanding workplace flexibility and earned leave options rather than creating a single government-designed system. Lukas argues that families should have more control over the benefits and leave arrangements that fit their circumstances.
The report takes a similar approach to child care, arguing that public policy should support a wider range of caregiving arrangements rather than focusing primarily on center-based day care. Heather Madden, vice president for policy initiatives, writes that families should have more freedom to choose among different child care options.
In education, the agenda calls for expanded school choice, parental access to records and the ability to opt children out of curriculum on sensitive subjects. The report argues that parents should have greater authority over educational decisions.
The elder care section focuses heavily on aging in place. Independent Women says policymakers should reduce barriers to in-home care and expand options for families caring for older relatives.
The report also promotes the group’s proposed American Caregivers Act, which would create a model connecting families with students interested in providing support to seniors through participating organizations.
Health care reforms in the agenda focus on price transparency and expanding options outside traditional insurance arrangements. The report says average family health insurance premiums have more than doubled since 2006 and cites an average family premium of $26,993 and an average deductible of $1,886.
Dr. Monique Yohanan, director of the Center for Better Health at Independent Women, argues that families should have clearer pricing information and more flexibility in how they pay for routine care.
The agenda also takes aim at restrictions on independent contractors and gig workers.
Patrice Onwuka, vice president of economic policy, argues that policymakers should create clearer standards for independent contractor status and resist broad efforts to reclassify workers as employees. The report says about 72.9 million Americans, or roughly 42% of the workforce, freelance in some capacity.
Housing affordability is another major focus. Independent Women argues that government regulations increase construction costs and slow development, citing an estimate that regulations add roughly $132,000 to the price of a new home.
The report calls on federal, state and local governments to reduce regulatory barriers that make housing construction more expensive or time-consuming, with the goal of increasing supply and improving affordability.
On taxes and social programs, the agenda favors reducing tax burdens while encouraging savings and directing support toward families facing the greatest financial pressures.
Kamryn Crane, a budget and entitlement reform policy analyst with Independent Women, argues that the current system of anti-poverty programs is too costly and vulnerable to fraud and inefficiency. The report says the federal government spends more than $1 trillion annually across more than 80 anti-poverty programs.
Taken together, the proposals reflect a market-oriented approach to family policy, emphasizing individual choice, regulatory reform and flexibility over expanded government mandates.
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