To address racial disparities in infant mortality, Philadelphia has officially launched a pilot program providing a monthly guaranteed income for 250 expectant families in three low-income areas of the city which are characterized by the highest infant mortality rates. The program is called the Philly Joy Bank, and it provides eligible participants with a monthly payment of $1,000 with no strings attached during pregnancy and up to 12 months postpartum.
In addition to the program's guaranteed income, recipients can opt in to financial counseling and healthcare services such as home visiting, doula, sleep education, and lactation support.
The Philly Joy Bank aims to reduce racial disparities in birth outcomes and advance health equity by empowering families to address unmet economic needs. Programs like the Philly Joy Bank are critical as financial insecurity increases in the months surrounding childbirth and there is evidence that guaranteed income during and after pregnancy can improve infant outcomes.
"Cash transfers are increasingly recognized as a valuable tool to reduce poverty during and after pregnancy, given their potential to yield substantial health impacts for pregnant people and their children." - Ali Groves, PhD, MHS
The introduction of this novel program comes at a time when the infant mortality rate in Philadelphia is nearly 40 percent higher than the national rate, according to a report by Growing Up Philly. Furthermore, racial inequities persist in birth outcomes, such that the infant mortality rate for Black infants is more than three times that of white infants.
To determine whether and how Philly Joy Bank impacts birth outcomes and other related health outcomes, researchers at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH) are conducting an evaluation study of the program. Ali Groves, PhD, MHS, associate professor of community health and prevention, and Elizabeth (Libby) Salerno Valdez, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of community health and prevention, are co-leading this effort. An interdisciplinary team of researchers includes Erikka Gilliam, MS, MPH, senior community engagement manager in the Urban Health Collaborative, and Nora Lee, PhD, assistant research professor of epidemiology.
Researchers are using a participatory mixed-methods study design to evaluate the Philly Joy Bank. Specifically, the team is using quantitative and qualitative research methods with study participants during pregnancy and throughout their first year postpartum in order to:
- Examine the feasibility and acceptability of the Philly Joy Bank
- Understand whether and how receipt of guaranteed income impacts parents’ stress and their ability meet their basic needs
- Explore the preliminary impacts of the guaranteed income on birth outcomes and parental mental health
All aspects of the Philly Joy Bank, including the evaluation study, have been co-developed through participatory processes, centering the voices of Black birthing parents (i.e., Lived Experience Experts). Moreover, Groves and Valdez meet regularly with members of a community advisory board to solicit ongoing guidance on key elements of the evaluation. And finally, data collection will also be a participatory process such that community evaluators will collect survey data and Lived Experience Experts will collect and analyze qualitative data (including photovoice and cellphilms), in close collaboration with study participants.
“By providing unconditional, unrestricted cash, the Philly Joy Bank aims to center the dignity, power, and autonomy of recipients to use the money as they see fit," said Valdez.
The study’s findings will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of guaranteed income on health among birthing parents and their children in Philadelphia, a setting where financial insecurity and poor health during and after pregnancy are all too common. Groves has long studied how social policies and programs can influence health outcomes locally and globally.
“Cash transfers are increasingly recognized as a valuable tool to reduce poverty during and after pregnancy given their potential to yield substantial health impacts for pregnant people and their children,” said Groves.
To kick off the launch of Philly Joy Bank, a program that has been in the works for more than three years, organizers hosted a Community Baby Shower event on June 22, 2024, at the Cecil B. Moore Library. There were giveaways, music, and lunch for attendees.
Philly Joy Bank was developed by Philadelphia Community Action Network (CAN), a collective impact stakeholder group whose goal is to reduce racial disparities in the city’s infant mortality by fostering a learning community and coordinating cross-sector actions. The program received funding from the William Penn Foundation, Spring Point Partners, Philadelphia Health Partnership, Vanguard, the Barra Foundation, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. City funds will be used to cover program staffing and evaluation.
Learn more about Philly Joy Bank