The Philly Joy Bank has launched in Philadelphia to help support pregnant Philadelphians and improve maternal and health outcomes, writes Nicole Leonard for WHYY.

The pilot program will provide guaranteed monthly income of $1,000 to pregnant Philadelphians.

The overall goal is to reduce racial disparities in a city that has among the highest poverty rates in the nation and where Black infants are three times more likely to die before their first birthday than white infants.

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” said Dr. Stacey Kallem, director of the Philadelphia Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health. “Alleviating financial stress during pregnancy can have real and positive impacts on birth outcomes. And the way to alleviate financial stress is actually pretty simple – you give people cash.”

The program is two years in the making, as Kallem and her team worked to raise $6 million in funds to support it.

The Philly Joy Bank will serve pregnant women and people in Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion, and Nicetown-Tioga. According to city officials, that’s where the number of infants born with very low birthweights is highest.

Residents must apply online while in their second trimester or between 12 to 24 weeks of gestation. Eligible households incomes must be below $100,000 to qualify.

Read more about the Philly Joy Bank in WHYY.

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