Philadelphia officials have started raising funds to start a pilot program that provides $1,000 a month to pregnant women in certain communities. new york post report Wednesday.
According to the report, the city’s public health department plans to launch a Philly Joy Bank pilot program by early 2024 to “help reduce racial disparities in child mortality.” Philadelphia has the highest infant mortality rate in the first year of life among the 10 most populous cities in the United States, officials said.
Philadelphia Pays Pregnant Women $1,000 a Month: ‘Solvable Crisis’ https://t.co/qPeIBnPY5J pic.twitter.com/bgNC8PYx8N
— New York Post (@nypost) March 23, 2023
“Infant mortality in Philadelphia is a solvable crisis,” Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettygor said in a statement. “We know that being able to better support pregnant and new parents can help keep babies alive. As the poorest big city in the country, this is not always easy. This is even more so in urban areas crushed by poverty and systemic racism among people.”
report quotes data This indicates that Philadelphia’s infant mortality rate was 6.1 in 2017, higher than the national average of 5.8.
Philadelphia piloted monthly guaranteed income for 250 pregnant women in Cobb’s Creek, Strawberry Mansion and Nicetown Tioga (areas with the highest low birth weight rates) to address racial disparities in infant mortality. I want to shrink.https://t.co/NrNz9OzMZJ
— Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) March 21, 2023
“2021 Cities Report Non-Hispanic black women were responsible for 58% of pregnancy-related deaths from 2013 to 2018.
Philly Joy Bank will initially include pregnant women living in low birth weight communities such as Cobb’s Creek, Strawberry Mansion and Nicetown Tioga. The program will provide enough funding to support 250 women, and the new mother will be paid in cash for her 18 months, including the first year after giving birth. according to To Philadelphia InquirerOfficials said they need to raise $6 million for the program and have already received $3 million from the William Penn Foundation and Spring Point Partners.
To be eligible for the program, expectant mothers must have an annual household income of less than $100,000.
“There are no rules about how the money must be spent,” the report said.
The program will also include “voluntary support” services such as financial counseling, doulas, breastfeeding support and home visits, officials said.
