Health & Science

Philly Joy Bank Aims to Save Lives of Infants, Guarantee Income for Expectant Mothers

The pilot program hopes to step in as, out of the country's ten most populated cities, Philadelphia has the highest infant mortality rate for children in their first year of life

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A new pilot program, presented by the Philadelphia Community Action Network, hopes to save the lives of infants throughout the city by providing financial support and services to pregnant mothers.

Called the Philly Joy Bank, when it is launched -- proposed for early 2024 -- the program looks to provide a monthly guaranteed income to about 250 pregnant mothers in specific neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia in an effort to reduce racial disparities in infant mortality.

In announcing funding for the program, the City's Department of Public Health noted that, out of the ten most populated cities in the country, Philadelphia has the highest mortality rate for children in the first year of their life.

In fact, according to the health department, Black children in the city are up to four times more likely to die before their first birthday than White children.

“Infant mortality in Philadelphia is a solvable crisis,” said health dept. commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole in a statement on the program. “We know that being able to better support pregnant people and new parents helps keep babies alive. As the poorest big city in the country, this is not always easy, especially in areas of the city that are being crushed by generational poverty and systemic racism. The Philly Joy Bank draws on the successes of other no-strings-attached guaranteed income projects to help break those cycles. We could not be more pleased to have generous donors like the William Penn Foundation and Spring Point Partners helping to kickstart this wonderful program.”

In addition to guaranteed income -- though just how much an individual could receive was not detailed in a recent statement -- the health department said program participants "will also be offered voluntary support such as benefits and financial counseling, home visiting, lactation support, and doulas."

Recent contributions from the William Penn Foundation and Spring Point Partners, have helped the health department raise over $3 million to support the Philly Joy Bank.

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However, in a statement, officials said they hope to reach a fundraising goal of $6 million by early 2024, when the pilot program is expected to launch.

To be eligible for the Philly Joy Bank pilot, the health department said residents must be pregnant, have a household income of less than $100,000 per year, and live in one of the three neighborhoods with the highest rates of very low birth weight -- Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion, Nicetown-Tioga.

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