October 16, 2025

The Philly Joy Bank (PJB) is a pilot program that provides a guaranteed monthly income of $1,000 to 250 expectant families in three low-income neighborhoods with the city’s highest infant mortality rates. Participants receive the no-strings-attached payments during pregnancy and for up to 12 months after giving birth.

MCH (maternal and child health) researchers at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health are conducting an evaluation study of the program.

The evaluation team includes co-leads 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. Erikka Gilliam, MS, MPH, senior community engagement manager in the Urban Health Collaborative, Nora Lee, PhD, assistant research professor of epidemiology, and community researchers, Christina Brown, Rita Nelson, and Hyden Terrell are also part of the team.

Now, with more than a year of the program underway, the Philly Joy Bank website published new some insights from survey data and testimonials.

"Data from these powerful [small group] sessions showed that this money is doing something really extraordinary during pregnancy for PJB participants,” said Valdez. “We are eager to see what impacts the PJB will have on babies and their families.”

Read the full story: Reflecting on More Than a Year of Philly Joy Bank, a Community-Driven Guaranteed Income Program