Philadelphia families say Philly Joy Bank guaranteed income program provided stability during pregnancy

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Dozens of families gathered at Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse on Saturday to mark the first full year of the Philly Joy Bank, a guaranteed income pilot program designed to improve maternal and infant outcomes among residents in vulnerable communities.

The city program opened applications last summer and has enrolled 250 pregnant mothers and their families, who now receive $1,000 a month for 18 months — unrestricted cash they can use in any way they want.

Philly Joy Bank, a collaboration with the city Department of Public Health, enrolled its last participants in March. The city plans to conduct a research study on the effectiveness of the program and issue a report at the end of 2026.

But Nia Coaxum, program manager, said it’s already clear that the money has had some early benefits.

“Folks have reported using this money to prepare for the new baby, to help take care of their existing kids, prepare for back-to-school time, which we know just passed, improve their housing situations, improve their transportation,” she said. “It’s really just improved their mental health, their overall wellbeing, which ultimately was the goal of this program.”

Philadelphia joined other communities and cities across the country that are experimenting with guaranteed income programs to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and improve health outcomes for babies.

Excessive stress, unmanaged chronic diseases, limited access to nutritious foods, poor insurance coverage and other factors can contribute to pregnancy complications and maternal morbidity, research shows.

These challenges and outcomes disproportionately affect people with low incomes, Black women and babies, and young mothers.

The Philly Joy Bank specifically targets mothers and families in Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion and Nicetown-Tioga neighborhoods, where the number of infants born with very low birthweights is highest, according to city officials.

Participants are also offered financial counseling, lactation support, doula help and referrals to other social services.

Program leaders said they hope the guaranteed monthly income can help families pay for resources that may otherwise be out of reach, or be able to handle unexpected costs and income loss.

New mother Iyanna L. said she was grateful the money was there when she had to stop working after developing hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of constant nausea and vomiting that lasted nearly her entire pregnancy.

“I think at first, I was stressing, because it was like, you don’t want to think about money, but you need it. You have to,” she said.

It was a relief, she said, when she began receiving $1,000 payments from the Philly Joy Bank.

“I never went without food, I never went without transportation to a doctor’s appointment, I was good,” she said. “I didn’t have everything I wanted. I didn’t have my house, the car and all that at the time, but this program definitely helped me get all the resources.”

At Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse, Iyanna smiled and watched a Philly Joy Bank staff member cuddle her son, who is now 7 months old. The two recently moved into their own apartment.

“I never knew programs like this even existed,” she said.

Families sat at picnic tables with some food and drinks while groups of older siblings ran around outside or used markers to color in pictures of dinosaurs and animals.

Fabienne and Victor chased their 20-month-old daughter while keeping an eye on their newborn, who slept in a car seat carrier.

The parents, who enrolled in the Philly Joy Bank in February, called the program their insurance.

“It’s our insurance of life,” Victor said. “This program gives us a lot of confidence, a lot of confidence about the unexpected. Every time, every month, you try to plan your expenses, to plan your money, but every month you also have the unexpected.”

Something as simple as a parking ticket could easily derail their budgeting, said the father of two.

“Now, it’s not a big deal, because we have Philly Joy Bank,” Victor said.

City officials say they’re interested in expanding the program beyond the pilot cohort, but will wait to evaluate final research outcomes before deciding on the program’s future.