Pregnant women living in certain Philadelphia neighborhoods can soon get $1,000 a month in guaranteed income during pregnancy, with the financial support continuing until the baby is one year old.
The “Philly Joy Bank” is a pilot program through the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, targeting neighborhoods with the highest infant mortality in the first year of life. The program will start accepting applications on June 24.
Of the top 10 most populated U.S. cities, Philadelphia has one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the first year of life, according to city officials.
In 2018, Philadelphia’s infant mortality rate was 8.1 per 1,000 live births, nearly 40 percent higher than the national rate of 5.8 per 1000 live births, according to a 2020 report produced by the city, titled “Growing Up Philly.”
The mortality rate for black babies has been consistently higher citywide than for babies of white, Hispanic, and Asian ethnic groups. Many of these deaths, the study said, were due to prematurity and perinatal conditions (65 percent) and sleep-related deaths (16 percent).
To be eligible for the “Philly Joy Bank” pilot, residents must be pregnant, have a household income of less than $100,000 per year, and live in one of the three Philadelphia neighborhoods with the highest rates of very low birth weight: Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion, and Nicetown-Tioga.
Department Says No Strings Attached
“Philly Joy Bank does not want to know everything about your lifestyle. They just want to give you the support that you need,” the project’s website says prominently.The application process requires only proof of the pregnant woman’s identity, residency in one of the eligible neighborhoods, and pregnancy status. Anyone who meets the program’s eligibility criteria is eligible to receive the money, regardless of their immigration status.
Eligible participants will be put into a lottery and names will be drawn every two weeks.
The money can be spent in any way the mother chooses. Participants will be offered financial counseling, home visits, lactation support, and doulas, but the use of these services is voluntary, not required.
In 2023, Philadelphia announced that the guaranteed income program would start with funding for approximately 250 pregnant women. At that time, the city had $3 million in contributions from the William Penn Foundation, a family foundation, and Spring Point Partners with the goal of raising $6 million.
Spring Point Partners calls itself “a social impact organization that champions community-driven change and promotes justice by investing in transformational leaders, networks, and solutions.”
The guaranteed income program is the result of a partnership between the city’s Department of Public Health and the Philadelphia Community Action Network (PhillyCAN), a coalition focused on reducing infant mortality.
Second in Nation
Similar guaranteed income programs exist in Manitoba, Canada, and San Francisco.California’s Abundant Birth Project, the first such program in the United States, uses a lot of the same language as the Philadelphia program. Funding with $5 million in state grant money started as a one-year pilot in June 2021. At first, the program served 150 San Francisco women, giving them $1,000 a month for over 12 months, beginning in early pregnancy, intent on reducing the racial birth disparities by easing economic stress.
In 2022, San Francisco announced it would fund an additional 425 women.
Now, the program has expanded to other cities, serves women starting in their first or second trimester, and pays for 12-18 months. Selected participants receive the following monthly cash based on their county of residence: $967 in Alameda, $1,000 in Contra Costa, $807 in Los Angeles, and $616 in Riverside.
“Creating life and giving birth is sacred. When we shift from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance, we invite healing for generations to come,” the Abundant Birth Project website reads.
