A proposal from the Trump administration to divert funds for low-income families to help support married households with a stay-at-home parent has largely divided conservatives, some of whom claim the plan is an extension of the welfare state.

Supported by Vice President JD Vance, the $12 billion Child Care and Development Fund could potentially give families with a stay-at-home parent $9,000 per child per year. The proposal is a significant departure from the original fund idea, which was created in the 1990s to help low-income parents remain active in the workforce by subsidizing childcare. The proposed initiative would apply to married couples below a certain income threshold, with one parent who works at least 35 hours per week. Unemployed single parents or cohabiting couples would not qualify.