The infant mortality rate is measured in deaths per 1,000 live births. The rate for the whole of the United States is 5.8. Philadelphia’s rate is 6.1.
In order to counter this, a new program was announced by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health on Monday, March 20, 2023. The Philly Joy Bank pilot program is set to begin in 2024 and will give $1,000 monthly cash payments to expectant mothers in certain communities in an effort to eradicate racial disparities in infant mortality.
Philadelphia admits it has “the highest infant mortality rate during a child’s first year of life of the 10 most populated US cities.” It is actively working to change this. This is not a statistic the city is proud of.
“Infant mortality in Philadelphia is a solvable crisis,” health commissioner Cheryl Bettigole, MD, stated. “We know that being able to better support pregnant people and new parents helps keep babies alive. As the poorest big city in the country, this is not always easy, especially in areas of the city that are being crushed by generational poverty and systemic racism.”
More from LittleThings: 10 Celebrations That Mark A Baby's First Year In Cultures Around The World
Here’s another scary statistic from a 2021 report: From 2013 to 2018, non-Hispanic Black women made up 58% of pregnancy-related deaths. This same group was only responsible for 43% of births in the city during that same time period.
The pilot program will help 250 expectant moms. They will receive $1,000 a month for 18 months, which also includes one year postpartum. There are no strings attached to this money.
In addition to the financial support, the soon-to-be mothers will receive “voluntary support.” This includes things such as home visits. It will also cover lactation counseling, doulas, and financial education. To qualify for the program, women must have an annual household income of less than $100,000.
The program will first target the neighborhoods of Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion, and Nicetown-Tioga. This is due to the low birth weights in these communities.
The city has already raised $3 million to fund this program with help from the William Penn Foundation and Spring Point Partners. The goal is to get to $6 million.
