Embrace Mothers
Embrace Mothers was launched in 2022 by Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.
110
participants
$375
monthly payment
1 Year
duration
$495,000
invested in community
| Program Features | |
|---|---|
| Number of Participants | 110 individuals |
| Amount | $375 |
| Frequency | monthly |
| Program Dates | March 2022-February 2023 |
| Eligibility | 18 years or older, female identifying as single head of a family with children in the household under 18 years of age |
About Embrace Mothers
Nearly 60% of households with children in the Birmingham are helmed by single women. Embrace Mothers supports 110 single mothers and women mothering roles (e.g., grandmothers, aunts) with $375 per month for 12 months. Participants were randomly selected by the City of Birmingham's research partner Abt Associates, and East Lake Initiative provided confidential onboarding and benefits counseling services to selected women. The Penny Foundation is fiscal agent for the program, distributing payments through the card platform MoCaFi.
Pilot concluded in 2023.
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COMMUNITY FEATURES
$44,797
$38,000
Median household income
21.2%
20%
Poverty rate
37.3%
31%
Housing burden
31.2%
40%
Childcare cost burden
8.5%
8%
Unemployment rate
STOCKTON
STATE MEDIAN
Demographic Data for Study Participants
Median Annual Household income
Embrace Mothers
$12,300
Birmingham, AL
$39,326
Annual Household Income (Mean)
$15,189
Sample Size
110
Avg. Age of Respondent
34
Avg. Children in Household
2
Avg. Household Size
4
gendermarital statuschildren in household
Male
0%
Female
100%
Other
0%
Married
0%
Single
100%
Partnered/In-Relationship
0%
Yes
99%
No
1%
race
White
2%
African American
95%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0%
Asian
0%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
Latino
2%
Other/Mixed
2%
ethnicityprimary language at home
Hispanic
2%
Non-Hispanic
98%
English
99%
Spanish
1%
Other
0%
Economic Context for Pilot Participants
The guaranteed income pilot launched during a period of dynamic change and economic challenges for pilot participants. The chart below situates this pilot in the context of unemployment and inflation.
Unemployment
Inflation
Pilot Timeline
Spending Breakdown
The data in this pie chart shows aggregate spending for guaranteed income participants in Birmingham, AL. This includes all non-cash expenditures from the participants' pre-paid debit card that is loaded with guaranteed income payments monthly.
Spending breakdown
Food and groceries accounted for the largest share of spending, at 31.89%, followed by Retail sales and services (30.08%) and Housing & Utilities (12.78%).
