After burying my Father this past May upon return to work I learned that my position as Registered Dietitian had been cut. Since we live on a remote island (Kwajalein) and there are very few job opportunities for spouses here, I am a Home Organizing Engineer (at home Mom). Unfortunately, I was not able to receive unemployment when I moved here a year ago (even though we're living on American leased soil). Consequently, I strongly believe that a tax credit would definitely help.

P.S. I forgot that I do work five hours per week at the local newspaper (making 1/4 what I should).

I'd rather see the tax money go to health coverage and education for needy children. We "SAHMs" do work incredibly hard at pouring ourselves into raising responsible, happy, and successful children, but I would rather have that money used to care for children who don't have the benefits that my kids have.

Just because women aren't in the workforce, doesn't mean they aren't contributing to society. I think families who have a SAHP should definitely get a tax break.

Studies show that a homemaker is equal to two full time jobs so why shouldn't they get credit for the work they do. If more couples had one that stayed home I think we would have better care given to our children. Hats off to anyone able to stay at home and be a full time parent, we need more of you.

Under no circumstances is this a good idea. Mother/Fatherhood has been around for tens of millennia, with no subsidy.

Subsidizing mother/fatherhood? Who thought this would even be okay?

Every family in the US can have a stay-home if they choose. The fact is that most choose the nice car and the big-screen TV, so they must have two incomes.

Affluence is the disease, subsidies aren't the cure.

As for single parent families, you know what, tough times equal tough people. Sometimes things suck, and that's it. My brother and I were raised by a tough single mother, who died at 38 years.

Paying for the jobs people do at home? Ridiculous. I want pay for mowing the grass, picking up the trash, raking the leaves, changing my own oil, on and on and on. If you want the state to pay you for your children, you become owned by the state.

I am not a stay at home mom but, I have friends who are. I think they should receive credit for the job they do. As far as thinking that if your not in the work force you don't put any money in the system, well, that is just nonsense. Raising children, especially in these times, is the most important job any of us do. If only we could go back to the Biblical times, thats what moms were supposed to do.

What a great idea! And FitProJeff no, every family cannot have a stay-home if they choose. Most moms have to work just to stay afloat!

How about us poor working moms who not only have to bring home a paycheck but at the end of the day, do everything the stay at home moms do but we don't have all day to do it. We deserve a tax break more than they do. Sour grapes maybe, but it is the truth. I only wish I had the luxery of being able to stay home all day, it sounds like heaven. Up by 6:00 a.m. and doing laundry at 11:30 p.m., no stay at home mom does that.

Renee-1422448 = You are joking right? You want to be paid a salary? Exactly who is going to pay this salary the poor working moms who don't have the luxery of staying home? Unbelievable that you feel so entitled.

Stay at home and get a tax credit - for WHAT??? You created the kid so deal with it. Go to work and contribute to society honey. Raising kids is what you elected to do and neither I nor any tax payer should be giving you any breakj for that. I work and raise my kid and don't expect two tax breaks - good grief you all are a lazy bunch of give me give me's.

Just because you are a working mom doesn't make all the responsibilities of being a mother/wife/house manager go away!!! I am a working mom, and I have to do everything the SAHMs do - but in less time! I have the same doctor appts to get to, the same laundry to finish, the same dinners to cook. If SAHMs get paid, then I should get paid for that time I spend being a mother as well.

While I respect some parents' decision to have a parent stay at home with the children, I don't support a tax credit for doing so. As a stay at home mom, you're not having taxes taken out of a paycheck and put into the system. Additionally, you are already eligible for certain benefits and tax credits just for having children. Our economy can't handle yet another tax credit, without somehow putting money back in. Nothing against stay at home mothers OR fathers, it just doesn't really make sense, especially right now.

momof2 - 142467 - no one said you are lazy you just have it much easier than working moms. Heck, if you get a credit for staying at home we should get double for working. As far as contributing to society, who do you think is paying the taxes for that nice school you volunteer at? Exactly how do you volunteer your time for the benefit of working moms? I don't get that one. If you can stay at home, that is great, congratulations but please don't think you are better or more entitled than working moms, you just have more money and think you are better. Hopefully, you never have to experience the stress of being a working mom.

Every stay at home I know would not trade it for the world. Especially once the kids start school. If you are organized the kids are gone the house is cleaned the shopping done, your day is yours. I worked as a phone repair technician and let me tell you that I don't have any idea where all those overworked stay at homes are because most were by the pool, watching tv, gossiping with girlfriends or any of several other liesure type activities. Oh yeah they did studies to determine what salary would "homemaker" earn and they used numbers for a full time chauffer, chef,maid, etc... first are you really that good at everything you do, I doubt it. Tax Credit..NO WAY you made a choice, you will enjoy your chidren for a lifetime and they will be there for you in your elder years and you think tax payers owe you

The truth is if parents (mother or father) received a tax credit for staying home to raise their own children then you would probably see more parents doing it. Our children need their parents. They do not need strangers who get paid to babysit them raising them. Studies have shown this is why alot of our children get involved with gangs. They feel abandoned by their parents and seek out others who are in the same boat.

I am 49 years old and was raised at a time when stay at home mothers were a given. Although my mother and I had a contentious relationship, I was glad she was home in the afternoon when my brothers and I got home from school. It was comforting. The rare occasion she was not home when we came home from school was scary. No one was home to ask us about our day, make sure we did our homework, etc.

To the women on this board who undermine a SAHM or SAHD then shame on you. These men and women are putting their children ahead of themselves. Just to let you know, some other developed nations pay 1) mothers to stay home and raise their own children, 2) maternity leave, etc. Not to say they are in better shape then we are here in the US but at least they acknowledge the need for children to be raised by the people who chose to give birth to them.

explorerdog - I love it. Not all sahm's have it quite that easy but I will agree most do. Tennis, sitting by the pool, country club, watching The View, one can only dream..........

I think if you give a tax credit to stay-at-home moms or dads then you should give it to any parent. The same amount of work has to be done to raise kids whether you have all day to do it at home or if you work outside of the home 8 hours a day and then try to accomplish all the same stuff in the few remaining hours you have during the evening and weekends. On top of that, working parents have the added expenses of daycare, gas, vehicle maintenance, etc. Yes, any "free" money for anyone would be great, however there is no free lunch. What one person receives from the government is taken away from somebody else. We already have too many tax credits for those who don't contribute to the tax base.

For every tax credit or benefit the government legislates they must increase the taxes (rip off) all of the other taxpayers. The government doesen't give anything to anybody unless they unfairly take it from someone else. It's called income redisribution A/K/A theft. The tax system isn't voluntary. It's theft by extortion and threats.

Do we need government? YES! However, we also need a lot less government, less government interference in personal and business affairs and a fair system of taxation. If everyone paid a maximum of 15% of there income in total taxes without any deductions or exemptions It's likely that smaller more efficient federal state and local governments would have sufficient income to provide necessary services. Of course they would have to eliminate the waste and corruption used to provide special interest groups unfair advantage over the rest of the taxpayers. Our current batch of politicians who accept gifts or contributions from special interest groups and professional lobbyists are corrupt. They all belong in prison. Every taxpayer is a victim of this band of thieves. I blame the ignorant voters for re-electing people from politcal parties who benefit from this corrupt system that they designed and engineered to keep themselves in power and on the gravy train. Intelligent people would have put an end to this long ago.

I don't have kids, but I do my own housework; where's my tax credit? I'm already disproportionally soaked in taxes as a single person.

"It takes" a village was the dumbest thing Hillary ever said (and the cookie thing the best). Your kid, your responsibility, not this villager's.

Unbelieveable! People want subsidies for breeding? If you want a tax credit, get a real job and actual pay income taxes. Families already receive huge tax credits just for having the little brats!