A newly released study of Washington, D.C. mothers involved in Child Protective Services demonstrates that government-funded child welfare programs are effective in reducing child neglect cases by prioritizing economic support to overcome conditions caused by poverty. Melody Webb, Executive Director and Founder of Mother’s Outreach Network and its Mother Up Research Pilot Project, stated, “Mothers and their children should not be separated because of poverty.”
An independent study of the Mother Up Research Pilot Project was released today by Harvard Law School’s Access to Justice Lab. This study examined the interplay between social behaviors and economic activities to improve the safety and health of families in economic crisis. Dr. Jim Greiner, Faculty Director of the Access to Justice Lab, reported that Phase II of the Mother Up Research Pilot Project study is generating evidence-based insights that can shape public policies and systems and empower communities with supportive and humanitarian results. He said, “This small pre-pilot did suggest that poverty leads to CPS agency involvement, and that financial support could help end oversight and avoid future involvement. If a full study showed the same evidence, that’s what we’d conclude.”
The Mother Up Research Pilot Project, about to enter Phase III, provides mothers existing in abject poverty with a monthly, “no strings-attached” cash payment of $500 over a three-year period. The goal of the Project is to highlight the tremendous need for changes to government-funded child welfare programs and policies by stressing humane and effective support for overcoming the daily stresses of poverty that prevent mothers from giving their children all that they need to stay safe and healthy. Ms. Webb stated, “The Mother Up Research Pilot Program confirms that mothers know best and will use additional economic resources to improve their families’ living conditions. We are learning that the extra, ‘no-strings-attached’ funds provided by the Project are being used for adequate food, housing, physical and mental health care, child care, or other life improving necessities”. She further noted, “the study highlights the dire circumstances of the participants as they strive to raise their children in safe and healthy environments despite living in abject poverty.”
The Mother Up Research Pilot Project is funded by The W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The Health Equity Fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation. “When families have stability and dignity, children thrive and communities grow stronger. This pilot underscores the power of economic support and trust in parents,” said Nara Topp, program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Dr. Marla Dean, Senior Director of the Health Equity & Maternal Health Funds, said, “We remain excited about partnering with Mother’s Outreach Network on their Mothers Up Research Pilot. We believe in the inherent dignity of every person. Direct cash payments to individuals positively affect health and nutrition, education, financial stability, and well-being by providing funds for essential needs like food, healthcare, and housing, while also improving employment outcomes, fostering entrepreneurship, and promoting a greater sense of choice and agency. These programs are efficient, address urgent needs, and can have positive spillover effects on communities and local economies.”
Mother’s Outreach Network (MON), based in Washington, D.C., is a constituent-driven nonprofit advocacy organization that tackles the root causes of poverty by advancing the inclusion, rights, and empowerment of Black mothers impacted by the child welfare system and economic injustice. MON is a leading advocate for guaranteed income programs and policies to improve the stability of families in crisis. MON advocates for guaranteed income programs to encourage family unity and reduce family involvement with the child welfare system by providing humane and effective support to overcome the stress of, i.e., inadequate food, housing, health care, and child-care.