Family Health Project
Family Health Project (FHP) is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit, funded solely by private philanthropists and foundations, that provides $400/month, unconditional cash payments to first-time mothers experiencing financial hardship for the first 36 months of their child's life. FHP embeds within Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which refer eligible mothers into the program during their third trimester of pregnancy. Launched in Lynn, MA in May 2021, it has since expanded to Roxbury/Boston (Whittier Street Health Center, 2022) and Lawrence, MA (Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, April 2026), each site currently supporting up to 20 mothers. The program remains active and ongoing as of mid-2026, with rolling, referral-based enrollment rather than a fixed application window.
FQHC referral-based enrollment, Postpartum, First-time mothers, Direct cash transfer, Massachusetts, Multi-site rolling expansion
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Family Health Project
- City
- Manchester
- State / Province
- Massachusetts
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Rolling
- Number of recipients
- 60
- Funding type
- Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 14,400 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 400 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 36 months
- Distribution Type
- Debit card
- Benefit details
Each participating mother receives $400 per month, loaded onto a debit card, for 36 months (total of $14,400), with no restrictions on use. The payment is explicitly classified as a gift rather than income, so it does not affect eligibility for Medicaid or other public benefits. As of 2026, the program runs concurrently at three FQHC sites (Lynn, Roxbury/Boston, and Lawrence), each supporting up to 20 mothers. 100% of individual donor contributions go directly to families, per FHP.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligible participants are first-time mothers experiencing financial hardship who are patients, in their third trimester of pregnancy, at one of FHP's partnering FQHCs (Lynn Community Health Center, Whittier Street Health Center, or Greater Lawrence Family Health Center). Enrollment happens exclusively through referral by clinical/social-work staff at the health center; there is no public application. Program stories reference single mothers and at least one documented undocumented mother, indicating no citizenship requirement is enforced. No specific published income threshold beyond a general 'financial hardship' determination by the referring FQHC.
Demographics
- Sex
- Female
- Gender
- Female
Family
- Family Status
- Expecting, Parent
Geography
- US states covered
- Massachusetts
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Lynn, Boston, Lawrence
- Counties covered
- Essex, Suffolk
Application Process
- How to apply
There is no public application. Eligible mothers are identified and referred into the program by clinical staff at partnering FQHCs (Lynn Community Health Center, Whittier Street Health Center, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center) during their third trimester of pregnancy.
- Selection process
Selection is made by the partnering FQHC's clinical/social-work staff, who identify first-time mothers experiencing financial hardship and refer them directly into the program; FHP does not run a separate open selection process or lottery.
