Researchers Find that Young Parents See Tangible Benefits With $1,000 Monthly Guaranteed Income

BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, October 22, 2025) - Today, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income welcomed the release of independent data on the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund (BYFSF) guaranteed income pilot. Findings include increased financial stability, fewer work issues related to child care, higher enrollment in post-secondary school or training programs, greater food security, less household chaos, reduced stress, and a higher level of satisfaction as parents.

The full report can be found here.

BYFSF provided 200 young parents with an unconditional cash payment of $1,000 per month over the course of 24 months, from August 2022 to July 2024. To qualify, applicants had to be Baltimore residents between 18-24 years old, either the biological or adoptive parents, or guardians, with full or partial care-taking responsibilities and incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level based on their household size. Of more than 4,000 applicants, 130 were randomly selected to be a part of the randomized control trial and given guaranteed income, and a similar number were selected to be part of the control group. BYFSF was funded by $4.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Key findings include:

Mayor Brandon M. Scott, who championed the pilot program, said, "The BYFSF pilot was about investing in the potential of our young families, and the impact went far beyond their pocketbooks. We saw in the data that it allowed families to stabilize their finances and pursue their goals for the future- from continuing their education to paying down debt, saving for emergencies, and investing in their children. BYFSF is a clear model for investing in the economic security and dignity of young families, in Baltimore and beyond."

• Financial stability
  • BYFSF participants were able to boost their financial well-being by paying off debt and increasing their savings, and these improvements lasted after payments ended.
• Employment
  • BYFSF participants were more likely to report doing either paid or unpaid work than control group participants, and a higher percentage of participants had income from employment compared to the control group.
  • Increased access to child care may have contributed to fewer issues at work. At 24 months, BYFSF participants said they missed an average of 9 fewer hours of work in the past month, compared to control group members.
  • BYFSF participants were more than twice as likely as control group members to say they had applied or were planning to apply for educational or professional training.
• Food security
  • About half of interviewees used GI to buy food, and the rate of food insecurity was significantly lower among BYFSF participants compared to the control group. At 18 months, participants were 16 percentage points less likely to be food insecure, and this difference persisted even after payments stopped.
• Housing
  • BYFSF helped about half of interviewed participants pay rent, and some reported using guaranteed income to pay for security deposits or the cost of moving. The percentage of participants living with a friend or relative dropped from 37% at baseline to 23% at 24 months and 19% after payments stopped.
  • At 18 and 24 months, participants reported less household chaos on average, compared to the control group, indicating guaranteed income may have helped families create more organized and peaceful home environments.
• Parenting
  • Nearly all BYFSF participants reported that guaranteed income helped them provide for their children's basic needs or engage their children in more enrichment activities.
• Mental health
  • BYFSF participants reported lower rates of stress than the control group at 24 months, and the impact may have lasted beyond the pilot, with participants reporting significantly lower scores on the Kessler scale at 30 months. Participants were also 15 percentage points more likely to say they felt they mattered more to people around them.

Robin McKinney, Co-Founder and CEO, CASH Campaign of Maryland comments, "The Baltimore Young Families Success Fund shows what happens when we trust families to make the best decisions for themselves. The data is clear, when given consistent, unconditional support, young parents invest in their children, their education, and their futures. This partnership demonstrates what's possible when local government, nonprofits, and families work together toward economic justice. Baltimore's pilot didn't just deliver cash, it delivered breathing room, hope, and proof that investing directly in people yields lasting impact."

Michael D. Tubbs, founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, said, "Young families face a growing number of obstacles to their economic mobility, and too many get stuck just trying to survive. The results of Baltimore's Young Families Success Fund show how direct cash support unlocks potential and creates opportunities for families to move from surviving to thriving. This aligns with data from over 20 other cities, proving that guaranteed income is a policy solution for poverty and income inequality."

Baltimore's pilot is affiliated with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a coalition of over 180 mayors and growing. The research findings from Baltimore build upon similar results from over 20 mayor-led guaranteed income programs in Stockton, CA, Saint Paul, MN, Cambridge, MA, Paterson, NJ, and many other cities across the nation, which have shown greater financial stability, increased employment, more parent-child time, and better levels of overall well-being, among other findings.

Read the full report on the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund here.

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Founded in June of 2020 by former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income is a coalition of nearly 180 mayors committed to advancing a federal guaranteed income – direct, recurring cash payments to middle and low-income people. Expanding to include city and county legislators in 2023 with Counties for a Guaranteed Income, and state legislators with Legislators for a Guaranteed Income in 2025, the network acts as a research and resource hub for municipal pilots around the country–over 70 and counting. An award-winning documentary film, It’s Basic, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023, follows recipients and illuminates the life-changing impact of guaranteed income programs on families’ economic security and opportunity.