SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, on Thursday announced a plan he said would help reduce child poverty rates in the U.S., promote marriage, and establish a national commitment to all of America’s families.

The senator’s Family Security Act would create policies, and update old policies, that focus on creating stability for American families. One of those policies would be a cash benefit of $350 a month for each young child and $250 a month for each school-aged child.

According to a statement from Romney’s office, the act would help expecting parents manage the expenses associated with preparing for a child. It would also eliminate the need for low-income families to choose between bigger paychecks or maintaining eligibility for support.

“American families are facing greater financial strain, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, and marriage and birth rates are at an all-time low,” Romney said. “On top of that, we have not comprehensively reformed our family support system in nearly three decades, and our changing economy has left millions of families behind.”

He said the nation needs to renew its commitment to families and help them take on the “most important work any of us will ever do — raising society’s children.”

Romney’s statement asserts the proposal would cut child poverty by up to one-third, promote marriage, provide equal treatment for both working and stay-at-home parents, and “establish a firm national commitment to all of America’s families.”

Read the overview of the senator’s proposal here:

Family Security Act