Embrace Mothers
A city-backed guaranteed income pilot providing 110 single mothers and caregivers in Birmingham, Alabama with no strings attached. Launched in February 2022 by Mayor Randall Woodfin in partnership with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), the program targets women heading households with at least one dependent child — reflecting that nearly 60% of Birmingham households with children are led by single women.
Mothers, Women
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- City of Birmingham Dept, of Public Works
- City
- Birmingham
- State / Province
- Alabama
- Country
- United States
Status & Funding
- Number of recipients
- 110
- Funding type
- Philanthropic, Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 4,500 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 375 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
Eligibility
Demographics
- Sex
- Female
Family
- Number of dependents (minimum)
- 1
- Household size (minimum)
- 2
Geography
- US states covered
- Alabama
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Birmingham
- Counties covered
- Jefferson, Shelby
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
Research participation is part of the pilot design, though it's voluntary rather than a strict condition of receiving payments.
Both the 110 recipients and 132 control-group members are invited to complete surveys every six months over the program's duration (roughly March 2022–February 2023), each earning a $30 gift card per completed survey. Abt Global, which runs the evaluation, also conducts qualitative interviews with participants — these capture personal reflections, notably around their experience and identity as mothers, alongside the quantitative survey data on finances, work, and childcare.
Application Process
- How to apply
Applications online, offered in English and Spanish, and take up to an hour to complete.
