Baltimore voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday to establish a taxpayer-funded program providing cash assistance to new and expectant parents as families across the country grapple with affordability concerns.
The measure, listed on the November ballot as Question I, amends the Baltimore City Charter to create a dedicated, permanent line item in the municipal budget for the Baltimore Baby Fund.
It passed by roughly a 70-30 margin after organizers submitted more than the 10,000 valid signatures required to qualify for the vote.
Under the approved charter amendment, the city must allocate 3 cents per $100 of assessed taxable property value directly into the dedicated fund, which is expected to generate approximately $17 million in its first year.
FORMER CALIFORNIA MAYOR PUSHES GUARANTEED INCOME AS FIX FOR AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
According to the mayor’s office, all Baltimore City newborns enrolled in the program will be eligible for a one-time cash payment. Eligible expectant and new parents may receive additional financial assistance, such as a one-time cash payment during pregnancy or monthly cash assistance and other forms of support.
The Baltimore City Council will retain authority over specific disbursement rules and eligibility criteria through future enabling legislation.
The initiative was championed by grassroots organizers with the Maryland Child Alliance alongside Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, who serves as a national co-chair of Mayors for Guaranteed Income.
“We aren’t surprised that Baltimore voters saw the value in a baby fund to offer new parents direct cash,” Shafeka Hashash, director of cash initiatives at the Economic Security Project (ESP), told Fox News Digital.
The ESP, an organization that has backed the creation of dozens of guaranteed income programs nationwide, pointed to mounting cost-of-living pressures facing American families as a primary catalyst for direct cash initiatives.
“Right now, as the cost of the basics like groceries, gas, healthcare and childcare continues to rise, paychecks haven’t kept up, and families can’t make ends meet,” Hashash said.
“Then, for new parents, the affordability crisis is compounded by an increase in new costs; this is why poverty rises 45% from the last month of pregnancy to the first month after birth.”
PRO-LIFE VS SOCIALISM: GOP LAWMAKERS DIVIDED OVER CONTROVERSIAL GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAMS
Hashash noted that direct financial support provides immediate relief during a critical transition window for families.
“In that exact critical moment, direct cash can cover everyday essentials like diapers or a new crib, or it can offer relief on the bigger financial strains, like the maternity ward bills or daycare payment,” Hashash added.
“Voters understood this policy implicitly because it’s simple, and we know it will be efficient and effective. We are excited to see how Baltimore benefits with this new resource for families.”
According to Baltimore public radio station WYPR, Emily Yu, campaign manager for the effort, praised the grassroots momentum behind the measure.
“We are public servants and community members that wanted to make this happen, and it’s pretty unbelievable that we made it happen,” Yu reportedly said.
“But it just speaks to the people power in Baltimore City. Clearly, there’s an appetite for it, so I would encourage other groups to do the same.”
Advocates with national guaranteed income coalitions also celebrated the ballot outcome.
“People are excited about the idea of cash for new and expecting families because it works. We heard from Americans loud and clear on Tuesday that families across the political spectrum are concerned about two things: affordability and healthcare,” Tegan Lecheler, national program director of the Mother & Infant Cash Coalition, told Fox News Digital.
Founded in 2023, the Mother & Infant Cash Coalition grew out of a broader movement toward direct financial support for young families. Lecheler, who previously managed operations with The Bridge Project, an unrestricted cash transfer initiative launched in 2021 operating across multiple states, noted that momentum for direct cash assistance built rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lecheler argued that providing cash directly to families demonstrates that local governments are responsive to constituents’ needs.
“Programs giving cash to new families address both, and this ballot measure’s passage is a clear example of government delivering results and being responsive to the concerns of constituents. The affordability crisis isn’t something that gets left at home. It comes with voters to the voting booth. Politicians that listen and prioritize the issues that Americans face every day will likely continue to be successful,” Lecheler said.
The ballot measure builds on previous direct cash programs in the city.
Mayor Scott previously oversaw the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund, a pilot program that operated from August 2022 to July 2024. The program provided unconditional monthly payments of $1,000 to 200 low-income parents ages 18 to 24 earning at or below 300% of the federal poverty level using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Campaign manager Emily Yu and Mayor Brandon Scott did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
