Folks,
Too many women in New York are forced to make
impossible choices during pregnancy — between paying rent or buying baby essentials, between food and prenatal care, between keeping their job and taking time to recover postpartum.
We know that financial security is a key factor in maternal and infant health. Yet, for low-income mothers, economic stability is often out of reach.
That’s why I’m fighting for
Baby Bucks — a guaranteed income pilot that will provide direct cash assistance to women living below the federal poverty line during the
last six months of pregnancy and the first three months postpartum.
The research is clear: when mothers have financial support, birth outcomes improve, infant mortality rates decline, and families thrive. We have the opportunity to make that a reality in New York.
Before I continue — programs like this don’t pass without public support.
If you believe every mother deserves dignity and financial security, can you chip in $10 or $25 today to help me fight for Baby Bucks?
Under my plan, New York will:
✅
Establish Baby Bucks as a pilot program to provide direct cash grants to pregnant women in financial need.
✅
Ensure guaranteed income for the last 6 months of pregnancy and 3 months postpartum, recognizing that early childhood stability starts before birth.
✅
Target support where it’s needed most, prioritizing women below the federal poverty line to fight generational poverty at its roots.
✅
Reduce racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, as Black and Latina mothers face disproportionate economic and health risks during pregnancy.
This isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s backed by
proven data. Studies on guaranteed income pilots show that direct cash assistance
improves maternal health, increases infant birth weight, and even leads to better long-term cognitive and emotional outcomes for children.
If we fail to act, we are complicit in a system that forces mothers into poverty at the most vulnerable moment in their lives. We cannot accept that.
This fight is about building a New York where every child gets a fair start, and every mother has the dignity of financial security. But we need public pressure to make this happen.
Will you chip in $10 or even $25 to help us make Baby Bucks a reality?
New York families deserve better. I’m ready to fight for them—but I need you with me.
Let’s do this, together.
Jessica Ramos
