Trump Administration Weighs Child Care Subsidies for Stay-at-Home Parents

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The Trump administration is considering a change to federal child care subsidies that would allow some married couples to receive government assistance when one parent stays home to raise their children.

The proposal, a priority for Vice President JD Vance, would expand eligibility under the $12 billion Child Care and Development Fund, which currently helps low-income families pay for child care while parents work, attend school or receive job training.

Under a draft rule, married couples meeting income requirements could receive assistance when one spouse works at least 35 hours per week and the other provides child care at home. Unmarried couples would not qualify under the proposal.

The program typically provides about $9,000 per child annually, although benefits vary by state. The change could be made administratively without congressional approval, according to people familiar with the proposal.

Vance has long advocated policies that give parents greater ability to care for young children at home rather than relying exclusively on commercial day care.

Opponents warn that expanding eligibility without increasing the program’s funding could leave fewer resources for working parents who depend on child care providers.

“Expanding the eligibility without increasing funding would mean more parents competing for the same dollars, and leaving more parents, particularly single working parents, worse off,” said Patrick T. Brown of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Federal data show the Child Care and Development Fund received about $12.3 billion in federal funding in fiscal 2025 and is primarily designed to help low-income working families afford child care.