New Guaranteed Income Pilot Program in Major US County Plans To Hand Out $9,000 in Free Cash per Participant

A guaranteed income pilot program is launching in one US county to help high-risk pregnant women.

San Diego County says the new program, known as Born Well, will provide 25 expecting mothers with $750 per month for a year.

The nonprofit San Diego Foundation is providing $1 million to fund the program and also pay for expanded services for mothers, including increased access to prenatal and postpartum care.

The participants, who must be in their first or second trimester of pregnancy, will be selected by the county’s Perinatal Equity Initiative program.

The program is meant to determine if increased financial stability can improve birth outcomes. In San Diego County, babies of mothers in the highest risk group are six times more likely to die within the year and 60 more likely to be born premature than those of the lowest risk group.

Says Liz Hernandez, San Diego County’s director of Public Health Services,

“While we are seeing improvements in the number of infant deaths in San Diego County overall, the rate of infant deaths in the highest-risk groups is still far above any other group.

There is more work to be done to improve disparities. This guaranteed income program is one step in reducing barriers for pregnant women at risk, like financial worries.”