New Orleans wants to pay new parents
A Flint program offers a promising model for reducing evictions and improving outcomes for newborns in families that need additional support.
New Orleans is considering a simple idea with a successful track record: give new parents cash.
According to Axios New Orleans, city leaders want to replicate a program in Flint, Michigan, that has stabilized families, eased the load on hospitals and, most importantly, produced healthier babies and saved young lives.
The Flint program, Rx Kids, was founded by pediatrician Mona Hanna, the doctor who sounded the alarm about lead in the drinking water. Other cities in Michigan and Ohio have adopted it.
Rx Kids gives pregnant moms a one-time $1,500 payment, followed by $500 a month for the first six months after the baby is born.
The money eases some of the financial pressure on families who need extra resources, and parents spend it where it counts: paying the rent and caring for their babies.
The results have been striking. Among enrolled families, evictions fell 91%, neonatal deaths dropped by half and NICU admissions declined 29%. Low birthweights fell 27%, and prenatal care rose 18%.
New Orleans officials hope to start with a pilot in New Orleans East, costing about $4 million a year. Because the city's budget is in the red, the money would come from federal sources and local philanthropy. Expanding the program citywide would cost about $10 million annually.
If it works 80 miles down I-10, it's fair to ask whether Baton Rouge could follow.
