The Trump administration is reportedly considering allowing federal childcare funds to support married couples when one parent leaves the workforce to raise their children at home. The proposed rule would expand eligibility under the Child Care and Development Fund, a $12 billion program created during the Clinton administration.

It currently helps low- and moderate-income parents afford childcare while they work or attend school. The program serves about 1.3 million children through age 13 and typically provides roughly $9,000 per child annually.

Under the draft policy, stay-at-home parents could qualify for assistance even though they are not paying an outside provider. If adopted, it would become the first federal subsidy designed to pay parents who remain home to care for their children.

The administration has not announced the plan, and important details remain unsettled, including eligibility rules and payment amounts. The proposal comes as families pay an average of more than $13,000 per child each year for care and would mark a major shift in how federal childcare assistance is distributed.

Federal childcare assistance has traditionally helped parents pay for care while they work or attend school. The proposed change would extend that support to stay-at-home parents and give them more freedom to decide which arrangement works best for their family, rather than tying assistance to outside childcare.

It would also be a stark change in sentiment, as under the current program the assumption is that federal support should primarily move parents into the workforce.

The existing fund currently serves 1.3 million children, and if it’s opened to another group, resources could be strained unless Congress provides additional funding. If greenlit, policymakers would need to decide whether current recipients receive less, eligibility becomes tighter, or spending increases.

A subsidy for stay-at-home parents could be a big factor for couples when calculating whether to have children and whether it makes sense for someone to stay home full-time. Instead of comparing two salaries against the full cost of daycare, eligible couples could consider whether federal support makes living on one income realistic each month.

The proposal is still a draft, so families should not count on receiving the program’s typical $9,000 annual benefit. Payment amounts, income limits, and application rules have not been released. It is also unclear whether parents already staying home would qualify or whether funding would be limited to families making a new caregiving decision.

Childcare costs can make a second paycheck worth little once daycare, commuting, and work expenses are deducted. A subsidy for stay-at-home care would allow one parent to spend a child’s early years at home without placing the financial burden on the other.

While the proposal would compensate families already making that sacrifice rather than reserving assistance for those who purchase care from outside providers, its focus on married couples could exclude single parents and unmarried households facing the same pressures.