Philadelphia Implements Guaranteed Income Program for Pregnant Women to Reduce Infant Mortality.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has launched a program called Philly Joy Bank, which aims to provide $1,000 monthly cash payments to 250 pregnant residents in the Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion, or Nicetown-Tioga neighborhoods. The program, which is part of a guaranteed income pilot, hopes to improve birth outcomes and reduce racial disparities in infant mortality rates. The payments will extend over a total of 18 months, including a year postpartum, and participants will also receive financial counseling, home visiting, lactation support, and doulas. The department hopes to eventually reach a fundraising goal of $6 million.