No Child Benefit in the USA: How a Family with Five Kids Gets By
A true story from Ohio: how the Ivy family handles everyday American life with five kids, one paycheck and a lot of heart
Based on a Wall Street Journal report from August 18, 2025
Many Americans today are choosing not to have children. Too expensive, too uncertain, too exhausting. The Ivys of Ohio are the exception. Five kids. One paycheck. And yet: stability, closeness, happiness. The Wall Street Journal article about Brittany and Michael Ivy offers a rare look at life in a large American family, far from the Hollywood clichés.
The trend: fewer children, born later
The USA is seeing a historic drop in its birth rate. Just 1.6 children per woman, similar to much of Europe. At the same time, the average age of mothers at their first birth is rising to almost 30.
The Ivys are swimming against the tide. Brittany was 20 and her husband Michael 34 when they had their first child. Today they have five kids aged 3 to 12, and live on a single income in a small suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.
A bold start with almost no money
When Brittany and Michael got married, they had less than $1,000 in the bank. They worked at Home Depot and in construction. Still, they decided to have a child, and then four more.
The American dream? Maybe. But one built on sacrifice, not wealth.
What a child costs in the USA, and what it means to be a mother
An analysis by the Brookings Institution estimates: raising a child in the USA today costs over $300,000 up to age 17, not counting college.
In much of Europe, the state covers many of these costs with:
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Child benefit
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Paid parental leave
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Subsidized daycare
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Public health insurance
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Affordable housing (at least outside the big cities)
In the USA, every additional child means more responsibility, more work, more risk, but no automatic government support.
A career? Not realistic with five kids
Brittany Ivy worked in sales, earned up to $12 an hour, brought in over $700,000 in sales a year and won awards. Then came her son's illness and the premature birth of the twins, and she had to stop.
She has now been at home for more than seven years.
In many European countries there would be parental pay, support for returning to work and childcare from the first year. In the USA? None of it.
Childcare that costs more than college
A daycare spot in Ohio often costs more than tuition at a public university. When Brittany ran the numbers on whether going back to work would pay off, she realized:
"My entire paycheck would go to childcare."
It's a problem millions of American mothers face, and one reason many women stay home altogether.
Healthcare as a cost trap
Things got especially tough when Michael Ivy needed an MRI for back pain. Medicaid, the government health program, refused to cover it.
The family sold their pickup truck to raise $750 in cash.
One paycheck, seven people: can it work?
Today Michael earns about $41,000 a year as a custodian in the public school system. On top of that comes $4,200 a year in rent from the house next door, which they bought cheaply years ago.
It's enough, just barely:
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Clothes from the thrift store (shirts: $1, pants: $2 to $3)
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Home-cooked meals
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Shared bedrooms: two rooms for seven people
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Toys from the dollar store
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Vacations? Not an option.
And yet Brittany says:
"I get to see every moment of their childhood. What more could I want?"
Why it works anyway
The Ivys make it work because a few key factors come together:
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Michael bought the house early, at 20
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They live in the Midwest, which is cheaper than California or New York
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Extended family as a backbone: neighbors and relatives pitch in
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No status symbols, just pragmatism and love
None of this is a model for everyone, but it shows what's possible when you set your priorities.
What expats can learn from it
If you're planning to move to the USA with your family, keep this in mind:
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There is no child benefit.
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No statutory maternity protection.
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Little government help.
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Kids cost time, money and patience.
But:
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If you buy property early, you win.
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If you're willing to give up some comfort, you can make it.
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A stable family model protects you better than any welfare state.
A personal note from the author
I grew up with eight brothers and sisters.
My family wasn't always financially secure. Far from it. Some years went well, many were hard.
Today I have ten children of my own.
And even though they are far better off materially, large families from every walk of life are close to my heart.
I know from experience how intense, how lively and how fulfilling life with lots of children is. And I also know how often you ask yourself: Can we pull this off?
The Ivys' story reminds me of my own childhood: the chaos, the laughter, the sharing, the pushing through. And it shows that you can get by, and even be happy, in a country without a safety net, if you have the courage to put family above everything else.
We support families ready to take the leap
Planning to move to the USA with your family?
Then you need more than a visa. You need a strategy: legal, financial and personal.
We help you with:
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Structuring your income (e.g. through LLCs or holding companies)
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Planning your children's education
Consultation & implementation
If you'd like to find out what this means for your own situation, the best step is to book a consultation.
