28-04-2025
Trump's ‘Baby Bonus': How New Mothers Could Soon Get $5K
In light of declining U.S. birth rates, President Donald Trump is considering offering a $5,000 incentive to mothers who give birth. The proposal was pitched to White House advisors, ABC News reported, and Trump reportedly said, 'Sounds like a good idea to me.'
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However, the incentive is far from a done deal. First, a bill would need to be drafted, submitted to Congress and then passed by the House and Senate. At that point, Trump would have 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto it. Bills can take days, weeks or years to pass or fail a vote in Congress.
The White House hasn't released additional details on where the money would come from, how it would be distributed or specific eligibility requirements.
If birth rates after the program is introduced rival 2023 rates, the government would have to shell out $17.9 billion to pay parents. If the program works to incentivize Americans to have children, it could be even more.
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The U.S. saw just 3.6 million babies born in 2024, a slight increase from 2023's record low of 3.59 million, according to CDC figures. The birth rate has been below the 'level of replacement' in the U.S. since 2007, according to Time.
The U.S. has relied on immigration to bolster the population; Trump's widespread deportations and closed-border policies could hamper this growth.
The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 increased by 35.7% between 2023 and 2025, according to a recent LendingTree report.
Annual expenses to raise a young child, after tax exemptions, are $29,419 per year, with daycare costs eating half that money at an average price of $17,836, up 51.8% in the past two years. Speaking of eating, food expenses for kids rose by 29.6%.
No doubt, $5,000 could help cover birth costs, partially compensate for sparse maternity leave pay — especially in states that don't have Paid Family and Medical Leave programs — and help pay for anything from car seats and cribs to formula in the first year.
However, $5,000 would only make a small dent in first-year childcare costs and may not encourage people to have kids. A variety of factors have discouraged Americans from having children, including a lack of standardized paid family leave programs and rising healthcare costs.
Karen Guzzo, director for the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill told Time that work instability, economic strains, global conflicts and climate change are just some of the reasons people are delaying — or avoiding — starting families.
'There's no question that families need policies that make it possible for moms and parents to care for their kids, go to work and contribute to their communities,' said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising, in a press release.
She emphasized infrastructure changes, fair pay for working parents, paid family leave and even an expanded monthly child tax credit as potential solutions.
'When we become a family-friendly country,' she said, 'families will have more children.'
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Sources
ABC News, 'Trump administration looking at $5,000 'baby bonus' to incentivize public to have more children.'
Time, 'U.S. Births Last Year Fell to Lowest Since 1979.'
LendingTree, 'It Costs an Additional $297,674 to Raise a Child Over 18 Years, Up 25.3%.'
MomsRising, 'Moms Leader: Ideas White House Is Reportedly Considering to Boost Birth Rates Are 'Sheer Lunacy'.'
This article originally appeared on Trump's 'Baby Bonus': How New Mothers Could Soon Get $5K
