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Study Name
Study of Baby's First Years Unconditional Cash Transfer
Study Sharepoint ID
101048
Evaluation name
Baby's First Years
Intervention (standard name)
Outcome domains examined
Strength of Evidence Tag
Design
Services
Populations targeted
Settings in which the intervention was studied
Subgroups
Subgroup data - Female
No
Subgroup data - Male
No
Subgroup data - White
No
Subgroup data - Black
No
Percent female
100.00
Percent Parents
100.00
Percent Single Parents
45.05
Percent welfare population
95.00
Percent Black or African American
41.37
Percent Hispanic or Latino of any race
41.24
Percent White not Hispanic
9.84
Percent More than one race
3.70
Percent another race
3.80
Mean age
27.10
Group formation formatted
This study includes low-income mothers who gave birth in twelve hospitals across New Orleans, New York City, the Omaha Metropolitan area, and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul between May 2018 and June 2019. Participants were required to have household incomes below the federal poverty line and reside in the state of recruitment. Mothers were randomly assigned to a high-cash gift intervention group (n=400) or a low-cash gift comparison group (n=600) shortly after childbirth.
Study timing formatted
The unconditional monthly transfer initially was designed to last for 40 months. It then was extended to 76 months. The data for the study were collected over three annual surveys at the children's first, second, and third birthdays.
Study funding formatted
The study and program funding are the same.
Sample Characteristics
All participants were mothers with 42% identified as Hispanic, 39% as Black, 11% white, non-Hispanic and 7% multiple races/other. Mothers were 27 years on average at the time of their child’s birth. Over 95% of mothers reported receiving some type of government benefit.
Implementing organization formatted
Charitable non-profit organizations delivered the cash transfer.
Program history
This specific unconditional cash transfer was not in existence prior to the start of the study.
Treatment condition formatted
In Baby’s First Years (BFY) study, low income mothers randomized to the “high-cash gift group” received a cash gift of $333 per month ($3,996/year) initially for 40 months, and subsequently for a duration of 76 months of the baby’s life. There were no restrictions regarding how the cash gift could be used. Mothers were given a debit card in the hospital, and the cash gift was loaded monthly on the same day as the child’s birth along with a text message. Mothers also had access to a hotline number for assistance with BFY card use.
Comparison condition formatted
Low income mothers randomized to the “low-cash gift group” received an unconditional cash gift of $20 per month ($240/year) for the same duration and using the same distribution processes as the “high-cash gift group.”
Mandatory services formatted
None
Timing of study formatted
76 months
Program funding formatted
NIH: R01HD087384; US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation; Andrew and Julie Klingenstein Family Fund; Annie E. Casey Foundation; Arrow Impact; BCBS of Louisiana Foundation; Bezos Family Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Bill Hammack and Janice Parmelee, Brady Education Fund; Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (Silicon Valley Community Foundation); Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies; Child Welfare Fund; Esther A. and Joseph Klingenstein Fund; Ford Foundation; Greater New Orleans Foundation; Heising-Simons Foundation; Jacobs Foundation; JPB Foundation; J-PAL North America; New York City Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity; Perigee Fund; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Sherwood Foundation; Valhalla Foundation; Weitz Family Foundation; W.K. Kellogg Foundation; and three anonymous donors.
Setting details formatted
Baby’s First Years was implemented in New Orleans, Louisiana; New York City, New York; Omaha, Nebraska; and Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The initial recruitment and randomization took place in twelve hospitals, and the cash gift was delivered via debit cards.
Delivered by public or private entity?
Private
Secondary domains examined
Household poverty status; Savings and other assets, Debt; Maternal time use in employment and education, Child time spent in child care, Maternal time spent with child on early learning tasks and activities; General household expenditures (by type), Child-specific expenditures (by type), Purchases of infact durable good since birth; Maternal subjective well-being; Breastfeedng (intentions), Child car, employment intentions.
Earliest publication year
2022
Most recent publication year
2024
Check edits flag
No
Primary Service
Unconditional cash transfers
Services Unclear
This field is populated using a formula. Do not manually edit.
Enrollment Period
May 2018 to June 2019
Intervention Duration
76.00
Subgroup data - Hispanic
No