NYT: Baby Bonuses, Fertility Planning: Trump Aides Assess Ideas to Boost Birthrate

[Dennis Donovan]

NYT - (archived: https://archive.ph/4qZqX ) Baby Bonuses, Fertility Planning: Trump Aides Assess Ideas to Boost Birthrate

The White House is soliciting policy proposals designed to give women incentives to have more children, a priority for many social conservatives.

By Caroline Kitchener
April 21, 2025
Updated 10:00 a.m. ET

The White House has been hearing out a chorus of ideas in recent weeks for persuading Americans to get married and have more children, an early sign that the Trump administration will embrace a new cultural agenda pushed by many of its allies on the right to reverse declining birthrates and push conservative family values.

One proposal shared with aides would reserve 30 percent of scholarships for the Fulbright program, the prestigious, government-backed international fellowship, for applicants who are married or have children.

Another would give a $5,000 cash “baby bonus” to every American mother after delivery.

A third calls on the government to fund programs that educate women on their menstrual cycles — in part so they can better understand when they are ovulating and able to conceive.

Those ideas, and others, are emerging from a movement concerned with declining birthrates that has been gaining steam for years and now finally has allies in the U.S. administration, including Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk. Policy experts and advocates of boosting the birthrate have been meeting with White House aides, sometimes handing over written proposals on ways to help or convince women to have more babies, according to four people who have been part of the meetings who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

/snip

The Nazis were also big on increasing birthrates... of Aryans.

[Henry203]

1. The Northeast has y the least amount of divorce

When my parents moved to Atlanta they always mentioned how much divorece there was in GA. Conservartive family values
Divorce
Cheating
Child molestation
racism

These are values I abhor but is part of evenagelical America.

[Prairie Gates]

2. Ideas to boost birthrate

Do something, anything, about impending climate catastrophe.

Stop making the public sphere a giant dumpster fire of ill will and nastiness.

Give poor people more money and better schools.

That's 1-3. There are about 100 more.

[SharonAnn]

3. Just for white people? Or for minorities also?

[newdeal2]

9. Exactly my first thought

They cannot be seen handing out checks to black and brown mothers, their base won’t stand for it.

[bob4460]

4. Make people feel like they can afford a child!

When the economy tanks no one thinks they can afford a child.

[Dennis Donovan]

7. That is the #1 reason I hear from couples contemplating starting a family. n/t

[Dulcinea]

5. Lots of refugees have big families.

Reinstating refugee admission is one way to boost population. Just sayin'.

[tulipsandroses]

6. "reserve 30 percent of scholarships for the Fulbright program" - Wait, doesn't that go against their DEI argument?

I know the truth about their anti DEI rhetoric is a front for their hate. But if we took them at face value about "merit and not having quotas" - Then what is this??
If you can't even reserve 11% of contracts for all minorities which includes women, how then do you turn around and say we can reserve 30% of scholarships just to have breeders?

[Arazi]

8. Free healthcare, childcare and free school lunches would go a long way here

But this isn’t really about being pro-life

[Renew Deal]

10. People need to feel safe

And to do that you have to confront climate change, end wars, provide healthcare, support democracy.