The San Francisco Department of Public Health announced on Tuesday that the guaranteed income program had received $5 million to extend its services to expectant mothers throughout California. About 425 soon-to-be mothers living in Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, and Riverside counties will receive an additional payment for the next two to three years through the California Department of Social Services.
$1,000 Additional Benefits
To reduce racial birth disparities, the Abundant Birth Project gave an extra $1,000 a month to 150 at-risk pregnant women of color last year. Thanks to $5 million in funding this year, the number of beneficiaries has almost tripled.
Dr. Grant Colfax, the director of health for San Francisco, expressed her appreciation for the state of California’s efforts to assist Black expectant mothers. She stated that the program would support more Black expectant parents in California and give children the best chance for a healthy start in life. It will also help reduce racial health disparities brought on by financial stressors, a source posted.
Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis will keep an eye on how additional funds can benefit mothers and their infants as women receive them. Researchers who conducted the evaluation study expressed hope that the outcomes would spur the nationwide launch of similar initiatives.
Giving Importance to Black Pregnant Women
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black women have the highest maternal mortality rates of any population. Additionally, they have a twofold higher chance of giving birth early than white women do. According to KQED, the University of California campuses in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Davis are researching the program’s health effects.
Dr. Zea Malawa, director of Expecting Justice, said that Black women have long been denied access to the resources required for safe and healthy pregnancies. In addition to enabling public health organizations to test a novel and promising public health intervention, she claimed that this program would provide Black pregnant women with economic stability during a crucial time in their lives.
