Trump admin to pursue child care subsidy for married couples with stay-at-home parent

The Trump administration is developing plans that would allow married couples with one stay-at-home parent to receive federal child care subsidies.

The proposal would create a new category of child care assistance within the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), which would allow eligible families to receive assistance when one parent remains home to care for the children. The policy has received support from Vice President JD Vance, who has previously advocated for policies that make it easier for parents to remain at home with young children.

Under the proposal, the administration would use funding from the Health and Human Services Department’s CCDF, which was created during the 1990s to help low-income families afford child care. The current program generally requires parents to demonstrate that they are working, attending school, or receiving job training.

The proposed change would see married couples meeting the income requirements to qualify when one parent stays at home. According to a report by The New York Times, the proposal creates a new category of “parent-based child care,” where a married parent could receive CCDF assistance to care for their child while the spouse works at least 35 hours each week. The proposal would not apply to unmarried couples or single parents.

Income eligibility is determined by state requirements. Qualifying parents must have an income lower than 85 percent of their state’s median income, while some states set a lower requirement of 60 percent.

The administration’s proposal would create more incentives for mothers to stay home to raise their children, as over 80 percent of stay-at-home parents are mothers, according to the Pew Research Center. VP Vance has previously advocated for more mothers to have the ability to stay home with their young children, defending a more traditional view of families.

In 2021, Vance co-wrote an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal in which he argued against daycare, saying that “Young children are clearly happier and healthier when they spend the day at home with a parent.”