Expecting mothers in Indianapolis can receive cash assistance from the city’s new initiative.
The Bridge Project, in partnership with the City of Indianapolis, announced the start of the BIRTH (Building Independent Resilient Thriving Homes) Fund, an unconditional cash program designed to improve health and stability for families in neighborhoods with the highest infant mortality rates.
Eligible participants will receive direct payments over a 36-month period — including a $1,125 prenatal stipend, $750 per month for the first 15 months, and $375 per month for the following 21 months. The program also connects families to health care, education and community resources, with support from community health workers.
The Indianapolis Foundation, Glick Philanthropies, Herbert Simon Family Foundation, Elevance Health and other private donors provide funding for the initiative.
“Every person should have the opportunity to meet their basic needs and reach their full potential,” said Marianne Glick, chair of the Glick Family Foundation. “Through the BIRTH Fund, new mothers will be supported in preparing and caring for themselves and their babies so, together, they can live their best lives.”
The program targets Indianapolis residents who are 18 or older, up to 24 weeks pregnant, have a household income of $39,000 or less, and live in one of several zip codes most affected by infant mortality: 46241, 46222, 46237, 46219, 46218, 46201 and 46235.
Suzanna Fritzberg, executive director of The Bridge Project, said the goal is to “invest in the strength and potential of mothers and babies who have long been denied equitable access to security, opportunity and health.”
Mayor Joe Hogsett praised the BIRTH Fund as “life changing,” saying it will “help uplift some of the most vulnerable in our city.”
The Regenstrief Institute will evaluate the program’s outcomes, including maternal and infant health, health care access and overall family stability.
For more information about the program and to apply, visit bridgeproject.org/apply.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
