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A Trump proposal would punish single parents. Other wealthy countries have a different approach
The Trump administration is considering a payment for low-income married couples where one parent stays home with the children, funded by shifting money from childcare subsidies used by working families. The proposal could leave many single parents competing for scarcer support, and its narrow eligibility rules appear to favour a particular family structure rather than address broader childcare costs.
Family-policy experts say only about 20% of US families with children meet the proposed criteria. In a comparison of 15 wealthy countries, single parents with a child under six received an average of $3,000 to $5,000 a year, with support varying widely. Ontario adds up to $147 a month per child to Canada’s national benefit, while Sweden caps childcare fees for a first child at about $180 a month; Sweden’s past stay-at-home allowance was open regardless of marital status and ended in 2016.
In short
- The proposal would redirect childcare funds to some married, one-earner households.
- Experts say its eligibility rules exclude most families with children.
- Canada and Sweden provide broader support for single parents and childcare.
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