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The Embrace Mothers guaranteed income pilot—spearheaded by Mayors for Guaranteed Income, Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, and the City of Birmingham—has released promising independent data showcasing the positive impact on single mothers who received financial support. The program, which provided $375 monthly to 110 single-mother households over 12 months, revealed significant improvements in participants’ financial wellness, parent-child bonding, reduced work-related issues due to childcare, and heightened educational aspirations.
The randomized control trial also included 132 single mothers in Birmingham who did not receive the guaranteed income, serving as a comparison group. Key findings from the study include:
Participants in the Embrace Mothers program reported enhanced financial stability, with reductions in utility debt, an improved ability to handle unexpected expenses, and increased savings compared to the control group.
The guaranteed income provided participants with greater flexibility in choosing their jobs, work schedules, and hours, allowing them to spend more time with their children. Those who remained employed throughout the pilot experienced significantly fewer issues at work due to childcare challenges. This outcome aligns with the City’s original theory that targeting guaranteed income to single mothers would alleviate such burdens.
The financial support enabled mothers to better provide for their children, leading to deep satisfaction. They were able to meet basic needs such as clothing, food, and hygiene products, and also afford extracurricular activities and family experiences previously out of reach. One participant shared, “[My daughter’s] been wanting [dance classes], but I just couldn’t afford it. And so now, just not being able to say no as much is really a big thing for me, especially when it comes to my kids, because I want to give them everything. I just—I couldn’t. And I still can’t give them everything, but I can give them a little bit more.”
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, a strong advocate for the pilot program, emphasized the importance of this initiative in supporting Birmingham’s single mothers. “For every ten households in Birmingham, six are led by single mothers. These women are the engine of our economy, getting up every day to do what’s necessary to provide the best they can for their children. They’re already experts in making a little stretch a long way. Embrace Mothers proves that even a modest guaranteed income can help them overcome the barriers of poverty.”
Michael D. Tubbs, founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, highlighted the significance of supporting single mothers through guaranteed income. “No one is a better money manager than a single mom,” Tubbs said. “Too often, these hardworking mothers face impossible circumstances between providing for their children and taking care of their children. Guaranteed income is a way of saying that we see you, and we care about what you’re going through. We know you’re going to use this financial support to be a better parent to your children.”
Birmingham’s pilot is part of a broader movement, with over 150 mayors across the country participating in Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. The findings from Birmingham echo similar positive outcomes observed in other cities such as Stockton, CA, Saint Paul, MN, Cambridge, MA, Paterson, NJ, and Richmond, VA, where guaranteed income programs have led to increased employment, financial stability, and overall well-being for participants.
