The White House is reportedly considering a new plan that would offer financial incentives to parents who choose to stay at home and care for their children. This proposal is part of a broader effort to encourage traditional family structures and boost the birth rate. According to a report by The New York Times, the Trump administration is exploring a policy that would provide government subsidies for childcare to married couples where one spouse is a stay-at-home parent. Under the draft plan, married couples within specific income brackets could qualify for payments if one spouse works at least 35 hours per week, while the other remains at home to care for the children. Unmarried couples and single parents who do not work would not be eligible for the subsidies. The funding for this initiative would come from the $12 billion Child Care and Development Fund, a program managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Established in the 1990s, the fund provides about $9,000 per child annually and currently supports around 1.3 million children. Most of these children live in households led by single working parents, who are typically mothers. The proposal aligns with a larger White House initiative to promote traditional family structures, led by Vice President JD Vance. Vance has previously advocated for more mothers to remain at home with their children, arguing that young children are happier and healthier when they spend the day at home with a parent. The plan has drawn criticism from some experts who warn that it could negatively affect single working parents. Joshua McCabe, director of social policy at the Niskanen Center, a think tank, told The New York Times that while he supports more support for stay-at-home parents, the proposed changes could lead to more parents competing for the same limited funds. He said this could leave many single working parents worse off. Some Trump administration attorneys have also raised questions about whether it would be legal to require that recipients of the childcare subsidies be married. The proposed change does not require approval from Congress. If the White House finalizes the plan, it would be published online for public comment and could be implemented as early as 2027. The Independent has reached out to the White House for a response, but no comment has been received yet.