White House proposes giving out $5,000 checks to address falling birthrates amid growing ‘pronatalist’ movement

White House proposes giving out $5,000 checks to address falling birthrates amid growing ‘pronatalist’ movement

One of Donald Trump’s priorities for his second term is getting Americans to have more babies – and the White House has a new proposal to encourage them to do so: a $5,000 “baby bonus”.

The plan to give cash payments to mothers after delivery shows the growing influence of the “pronatalist” movement in the US, which, citing falling US birthrates, calls for “traditional” family values and for women – particularly white women – to have more children.

But experts say $5,000 checks won’t lead to a baby boom. Between unaffordable health care, soaring housing costs, inaccessible childcare and a lack of federal parental leave mandates, Americans face a swath of expensive hurdles that disincentivize them from having large families – or families at all – and that will require a much larger government investment to overcome.

  • PancakeTrebuchet@lemmy.worldEnglish
    371·
    9 hours ago

    My wife and I would consider another kid if the fed wanted to kick us an extra $25k per year.

    A one time fee of $5K is hilarious. You’d maybe be able to cover the hospital bill from having the kid with that sum.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
      3·
      5 hours ago

      Not even cash, but healthcare, childcare, preschool, more tuition assistance (WTF, FAFSA no longer considers if you have multiple kids in college? Let’s start by fixing that), excessive housing and vehicle cost. Plus give us some hope for the future with investments in the environment and renewable energy, making the world a better place. $5k probably covers first year food, clothes, diapers but not much more

      • andros_rex@lemmy.world
        4·
        4 hours ago

        FAFSA calculations have been bullshit for years.

        “Oh, your family was extremely abusive and they aren’t giving you a dime? Well, your stepfather still makes too much for you to get anything other than unsubsidized loans.”

        Like, fuck, my mom stole thousands of dollars from me. I should have had a negative EFC.

    • 5too@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      9 hours ago

      You’d maybe be able to cover the hospital bill from having the kid with that sum.

      If there’s no complications.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      9 hours ago

      It’s not even his idea.

      https://taxfoundation.org/blog/hillary-clintons-proposal-5000-baby-bond-essentially-already-here/

      Sen. Hillary Clinton’s plan to give every newborn a $5,000 bond, money meant to defray college costs when the kids hit 18, continued to draw criticism yesterday from her right-wing rivals.

      “It’s a quick way of trying to buy votes, which is irresponsible when it comes to the economic future of the nation,” said New York Conservative Party chief Mike Long, adding that the White House would have to raise taxes to finance the plan.

      The bonds would cost about $20 billion a year, based on the 4million American babies born annually, according to Time magazine, which last month proposed a similar plan.