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The majority already agree

Children Need a
Mother and a Father.

A national survey of likely general-election voters who identify as conservative or moderate found that 96% say it is important for a child to be raised with both an involved mother and father, and 78% agree that when children’s needs conflict with adult desires, children’s needs should come first.

“This poll exposes the growing disconnect between elite cultural narratives and the convictions of conservative and moderate voters. Despite years of messaging from the media, academia, and corporate America, these voters continue to affirm a fundamental belief: whenever possible, children should be raised by and connected to both their mother and father. At a time when the center-right is often portrayed as fractured, this survey reveals remarkable unity around a principle that should never have become controversial: the rights and needs of children deserve to come before adult desires.”

–Josh Hammer

The Narrative
Doesn't Match The Data

Conservatives and moderates have been told that defending a child's need for a mother and father is a fringe position. Among the very voters who decide elections, it isn't - it's the consensus.

Beneath the headlines is a broad consensus: children matter, mothers matter, fathers matter, and children’s needs should come before adult desires. The challenge isn’t convincing most people. The challenge is making sure the conversation reflects what most people already believe. 

Data doesn’t lie. Here are the latest poll results:

What the Research Found

96%

of conservative + moderate voters say it is important for a child to be raised with both an involved mother and father.

82%

of of these voters agree no child should be deliberately denied a mother or a father.

78%

of conservative + moderate voters agree children’s needs should come before adult desires.

66%

of conservative + moderate voters reject the claim that being raised by same-sex parents is no different for a child than being raised by an adoptive mother and father.

72%

Support for legally recognizing every child as having a mother and father increased after voters engaged with the issue.

*National survey of 1,200 likely general-election voters who identify as conservative or moderate, fielded June 14–16, 2026. Margin of error ±2.83%. Conducted by The Decision Co. and weighted to the likely general-election voter universe. This survey reflects center-right voters, not the full U.S. electorate.

Released by the Greater Than coalition — parents, faith leaders, scholars, and organizations united for children.

The Narrative

“Mothers and fathers are interchangeable.”
“Family structure doesn’t matter.”
“This belief is fringe.”

The Data

96% say mother/father involvement matters.
63% say children are harmed when they lose their mother or father to a same-sex household.
The consensus is broader than the conversation admits.

This Isn't Just A Church Issue

43%

Even among people who never attend church, 43% still agree every child should be legally recognized as having a mother and father. This is not simply a religious conviction. It’s a human conviction rooted in what people instinctively know children need.

Regular Churchgoers: 72% agree

Non-Churched: 43% agree

Methodology & Selected Findings