I think stay-at-home parents do the most important work of all: raising children. Having that said, I, personally, have always wanted to be completely independent. I started paying rent and all my bills (and sometimes my parents' bills too) at 18, I refused to accept any help with tuition, and I have never accepted any sort of help from anyone. It's super important for me to be able to afford raising kids ON MY OWN, even if my partner is in the picture. Moreover, I'm building passive sources of income so I can NOT WORK yet STILL EARN MONEY when I have kids. This is a route not so many parents take, and I'm not sure why.

The government should be at least partially responsible for helping parents raise kids, if the government is interested in supporting its citizens and maintaining the population numbers. Have you been paying taxes for 10-15 years before having your child? IMHO, you DESERVE to get financial support. But if you reside in USA, you don't get a maternity leave unless your employer is kind enough to provide it.

Countries like Estonia, Finland and others offer between 1 to 3 years of paid maternity leave. I think it should be the same way in USA. And you said you're a freelance writer? Well, it means you technically work too. We need more support for stay at home parents who choose to work part-time or freelance.