Why conservatives should pay parents to stay home

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), his wife Erin Morrow Hawley, and daughter Abigail Hawley, speak with Vice President Kamala Harris on January 3, 2025, in Washington, DC. | Alex Wong/Getty Images

Key takeaways

• Conservative policymakers say they want more parents to stay home with their children, but it’s not clear that approaches like baby bonuses or bigger child tax will work.

• One possibility is to pay lower-income parents to stay home, potentially by pairing a national paid...