Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced a new pilot program to provide direct cash assistance to new and expectant mothers in Wards 5, 7 and 8. 

The $1.5 million Strong Families, Strong Future D.C. program aims to provide $900 per month to 132 new and expectant mothers for a full year to ease the burden of motherhood in low income areas in the District, according to Bowser’s Jan. 13 press release. 

Raising a young child in the District is more expensive than in any other state, costing over $28,000 annually to provide necessities such as food, housing, clothing, diapers and medical care. 

The program is one more step in the District’s plan to provide support for low-income mothers, according to Bowser.

“This program is about supporting new and expectant moms with cash so that they can have the autonomy and flexibility to make the best choices for them and their baby,” Bowser wrote in the press release. “The Strong Families, Strong Future DC pilot builds on the work we’ve done to address disparities in maternal health outcomes, make high-quality child care more affordable and accessible, and ensure women are at the heart of our equitable economic recovery strategy.”

COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted mothers, who have been burdened with increased child care responsibilities, according to the Pew Research Center. The challenges were heightened for working moms, with 39% reporting increased difficulties balancing work and family responsibilities.

The pilot program is a collaborative effort between the Mayor’s office, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and local child development nonprofit Martha’s Table.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Martha’s Table used $1.2 million to provide $9,000 in direct cash assistance to 137 D.C. families over a four-month period, according to Whitney Faison, assistant communications director of Martha’s Table.

“Direct cash assistance is a permanent aspect of Martha’s Table’s portfolio,” Faison wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We know this program works. This is our third cash assistance program and the evidence is there.”

Cash assistance positively impacts the wellbeing of lower-income households, helping to pay for everyday needs, according to Faison. 

“It wasn’t putting cash in people’s hands, it was extending the dignity and respect they deserve in a time when it was needed most,” Faison wrote.

Similar pilot programs around the United States have shown progress in the communities they are designed to serve. For example, the Magnolia Mother’s Trust in Jackson, Miss., has provided $1,000 cash on a monthly basis to low-income, Black mothers since the fall of 2018 and has now become the country’s longest-running basic income program. 

Direct cash assistance programs have been successful because they let new mothers use the financial support however they see fit, according to Faison.

Unrestricted cash assistance is routinely used to meet financial needs as each family sees fit, including paying utility bills, making rent payments, paying for transportation to and from jobs and medical visits, purchasing groceries, and funding childcare needs, according to Faison.

“For families in Wards 5, 7, and 8, this level of unconditional support is critical,” Faison wrote. “The first year of a child’s life brings a significant financial strain. This direct cash assistance will help families build a solid financial foundation that paves the way for lasting child and family success.”