SF launches program giving some pregnant women and moms $1,000 a month
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco is launching a pilot program to provide $1,000 a month in supplemental income to some Black and Pacific Islander women who are pregnant or have recently given birth.
Called the Abundant Birth Project, the program will start by providing a guaranteed basic income to 150 pregnant women and new moms who can collect the benefit for six months after their baby's birth.
City officials touted it as a first-of-its-kind endeavor in the country.
“Providing guaranteed income support to mothers during pregnancy is an innovative and equitable approach that will ease some of the financial stress that all too often keeps women from being able to put their health first," said Mayor London Breed in a statement.
On a small scale, it's reminiscent of the campaign platform of Andrew Yang who attracted attention among the Democratic field by calling for giving every American adult $1,000 a month.
The San Francisco program aims to close racial disparities in pregnancy, childbirth and development, officials said. Black babies are born prematurely about twice as often as white babies, according to the city's data, and Black mothers account for half of maternal deaths.
Pacific Islander families face similar results as Black families, the city said.
Low- and middle-income women will be eligible to receive the funds, the city said.
The goal is to expand the program to include the payments until the child's second birthday.