May 11 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Monday announced a series of initiatives aimed supporting families, with specific support and essential resources for mothers.
The new programs include child care reforms, federal guidance to spur employers to offer fertility benefits and the launch of Moms.gov, a resource for new and expectant mothers, Trump said during a press conference in the Oval Office.
The website debuted Sunday with an announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services spotlighting that it includes resources about pregnancy centers, other healthcare facilities, nutritional guidance and other maternal and infant health information.
Trump specifically spotlighted the fertility benefits push as important because many employer-based health insurance plans do not cover fertility care, with the government now offering supplemental coverage.
“Most healthcare plans do not cover these benefits, but today I’m pleased to announced that the Department of Labor is issuing a new rule to formally create a fertility benefit option for employers that can be offered to all employees outside of their normal health insurance plans,” Trump said.
“It’s a big deal. They were not taken care of,” he said. “This will be a supplemental option available to those who need it, much like vision or dental insurance.”
The administration presented the new initiatives as part of its overall effort to help families, which it said includes expansion of the child tax credit, expanded access to IVF and fertility care through the TrumpRx.gov platform and introduced a raft of foster care and adoption actions through first lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future program.
Trump said during the press conference that more than 19,000 Americans have accessed fertility drugs through TrumpRx and have saved an estimated $15 million because of the discounts the site offers.
Moms.gov, on its homepage, sets out the goal of the website as “addressing the needs of mothers and fathers who face difficult or unexpected pregnancies, and ensuring the well-being of mothers and the health of American families.”
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