Trump administration drafts plan to offer childcare subsidies to married stay-at-home parents: Report

The Trump administration is reportedly drafting a plan to let some married couples with a stay-at-home parent receive federal child care subsidies.

admin September 8, 2026 2 minutes read

The Trump administration has drafted a proposal to pay some married stay-at-home parents, so the parents can dedicate more time to childcare, according to a New York Times report.

Redirecting HHS funds

The plan aims to create a federal subsidy that would pay parents to stay home and raise their children, according to The Times.

FILE – A logo is displayed on the door to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) headquarters at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building on August 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Dig deeper:

Officials are looking to use the Health and Human Services Department’s Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), which was originally created in the 1990s to help low-income and working-class parents afford child care.

The new plan would reportedly provide about $9,000 per child each year.

Who could qualify?

Parents must be married
One spouse is working at least 35 hours per week
One spouse is staying home with the kids
Meet income requirements, which can vary by state

Unmarried couples where one parent stays home wouldn’t qualify, according to The Times.

Single parents who do not work also do not qualify.

Who is receiving CCDF help now?

By the numbers:

There are roughly 994,000 families that received help from CCDF, according to 2023 HHS data.

Of the families who received funds, 35% were living below the Federal Poverty Level.

Families who were receiving funds typically got them through vouchers which could be used toward family child care programs, center-based programs, after-school programs or care through a relative or neighbor.

FOX has reached out to the White House for confirmation and comment.