A Trump administration proposal could make married families with one stay-at-home parent eligible for federal childcare subsidies, expanding a 1990s Health and Human Services Department fund that typically provides roughly $9,000 per child annually to lower-income parents. The proposal remains under development, and it is unclear whether or when the administration will announce it. The idea has divided conservatives over whether government should support parents who provide care at home or avoid influencing decisions about marriage, work and family size. Supporters say current policy favors two-income households and formal childcare, while opponents warn that the plan could discourage women from working or pursuing higher education. The existing program is already undersupplied, with about one in seven eligible children receiving assistance. An Associated Press analysis found eligible children on waitlists in 23 states and the District of Columbia this spring, while families were turned away in three additional states after $28 billion in pandemic aid expired in fall 2024. SmartAsset’s analysis found that a single working parent supporting a spouse and one child would need more than $100,000 in Hawaii and California, with Hawaii about $5,000 higher. Arkansas was the only state where annual earnings below $70,000—$68,869—would suffice. For two working parents paying for childcare, Massachusetts was the most expensive state, requiring household earnings above $131,000; more than $100,000 was needed in 18 states.