The second pregnancy of Nia Samuels occurred amid turmoil. The family had to move for work in April 2020 after her partner was laid off, and Samuels’ father later passed away from COVID-19. Samuels claimed that while pregnant, she became ill and suffered from depression.
She sought assistance and was connected to programs that gave her diapers, emotional support, and — most importantly — small cash payments from a Philadelphia Community Action Network program with no conditions attached.
These payments, according to Samuels, are a lifeline. They lessened the stress she was experiencing, which experts say can help to improve the health of both the mother and the child.
“Knowing that we could handle a small emergency — something broke, someone got sick, something happened — was really helpful,” she said.
Philadelphia plans to test a monthly guaranteed income program for 250 expectant mothers in the Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion, and Nicetown-Tioga neighborhoods, which have the highest rates of low birth weight babies, in an effort to lessen racial disparities in infant mortality. But those in charge assert that more money is required to complete the project. The Philly Joy Bank will be the name of the initiative.
The William Penn Foundation and Spring Point Partners have already donated over $3 million to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, which plans to launch the program in early 2024. The Philly Joy Bank will provide $1,000 in cash payments every month for a total of 18 months, including the first year following childbirth.
In addition, interested participants will be given access to doulas, lactation support, and financial counseling.
The Philly Joy Bank will provide $1,000 in cash payments every month for a total of 18 months, including the first year following childbirth.(Photo: https://www.meridianbanker.com/)
Stacey Kallem, director of the health department’s division of maternal, child, and family health, announced the pilot program at City Hall on Monday. “We are looking to raise a total of $6 million, so this is our callout to potential funders looking to support our pregnant people and their babies,” she said.
The Philadelphia Community Action Network, a group that includes parents like Samuels, researchers, and physicians, and which works to lessen racial disparities in infant mortality, is collaborating with the health department on the pilot.
To qualify, expectant women must have an annual household income of under $100,000.
Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole stated, “We know that being able to better support pregnant women and new parents helps keep babies alive.”
Black infants are more than four times as likely as white infants to pass away before turning one, according to the city. Philadelphia has the highest rate of infant mortality in the first year of life when compared to the 10 most populous cities in the nation.
According to Bettigole, the pilot builds on the achievements of other projects that offer guaranteed income with no conditions. Four counties in California are paying Black pregnant women in cash. A similar initiative has been started in a few Manhattan neighborhoods by New York City.
The city and CAN are looking for a partner to assess how the pilot affects maternal and infant health in addition to additional funders.
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