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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Carter Sherman

Give birth? In this economy? US women scoff at Trump’s meager ‘baby bonuses’

Illustration of Trump holding a $5,000 check while a mother holds her baby with her head in her hands
Pronatalism, or the practice of encouraging people to have children, has long been intertwined with racism, eugenics and authoritarian governments. Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images

In theory, Savannah Downing would love to be a mom. At 24, the Texan actor and content creator is nearing the age at which her mother had kids. Some of her friends are starting families. But having children in the United States is wildly expensive – and so when she saw the news that the Trump administration was considering giving out $5,000 “baby bonuses” to convince women to have kids, Downing was incensed.

“Maybe people will want to have children more often if we weren’t struggling to find jobs, struggling to pay our student loans, struggling to pay for food,” she said. “Five thousand dollars doesn’t even begin to even cover childcare for one month. It just seems really ridiculous.”

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