New moms could get $1,000 in this city

TOP OF MIND

Pack your bags, we're moving to Baltimore!
Childhood poverty continues to be a major problem in the United States, which is a little strange considering we are one of the wealthiest countries in the world. In Baltimore, 31% of school-aged children are experiencing poverty, and a group of teachers in the city are doing their best to knock those rates down.

The teachers organized a proposal that would give new mothers in Baltimore a one-time cash payment of $1,000.

They managed to get over 10,000 signatures for the proposal, which means it'll be on the ballot in November. Most experts believe it'll pass. After all, a similar program was implemented earlier this year in Flint, Michigan, where women receive $1,500 during their pregnancy and $500 per month for the first year after giving birth.

But does it actually help?

The important bits
Back in 2018, an experiment called Baby's First Years was launched. Researchers wanted to see how kids would benefit by giving families an extra $4,000 a year. They reportedly picked families by canvassing for low-income moms in hospital maternity wards.

The families are still being followed some six years later, and the results have been mixed.

The research does show that the moms receiving the extra cash were able to spend more time on learning and enrichment activities with their kids, like reading, playing with toys, and more. However, the difference wasn't that significant.

Additionally, researchers were surprised to find the added money did nothing to help mothers' stress levels.

What's it all mean?
Honestly... we're not sure. Obviously, money doesn't cure stress or depression, but at the same time, we think these researchers are overvaluing the amount of money they gave these families. Look, none of us would turn down an extra $4,000 a year, but at the same time, that's not exactly life-changing, especially these days.

An added $4,000 a year is not enough for a mom to quit her job. It's not even enough to afford quality childcare. To put this in perspective, the CEO of McDonald's reportedly made $20 million last year. If you put those numbers into a typical 9-5 work week, he's making $80,000 every single day.

So giving new moms an extra $4,000 a year is nice and all, but let's not pretend like it should be changing their lives. Also, if we really want to end childhood poverty, how about we just do the bare minimum first?

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A DOSE OF GOOD

@bookofeligaming

THAT FEELING LEAVING HAPPY HOUR 🍻😂 #comedy #viral #granny #tiktok #funny #happyhour

BITES WITH KIYAH

I am always talking about the importance of multiple exposures: giving your kids repeated opportunities to try foods that they are still learning to like. Which is why I love recipe roundups like this one! Any recipe from Love & Lemons is especially fantastic because they are super simple, and super fresh.

P.S. Don’t be scared by the fact that those recipes are all using zucchini, which I know is a green food and your kids may not all be interested in eating. Zucchini can be made sweet or savory, and it can easily adapt to sauces and dips so it’s a perfect veggie for experimentation!

Kiyah is the co-founder of Kizingo Kids and an expert in nutrition. Follow her on Instagram.

BACK TO SCHOOL TARGET DEALS

Back to school already? It feels like the summer just started, but stores are reminding us that August is quickly approaching.

Target just put out some pretty incredible back-to-school deals this week.

You can get a backpack for just $5. Seriously. We triple-checked. But if you're unsure about a $5 backpack, this highly rated JanSport backpack is currently 15% off on Amazon.

Another cool thing Target is doing is their "20 must-haves for under $20" section. You can get a 12-pack of colored pencils for $0.50 and a bottle of glue for just $0.25.

HERE’S A QUESTION

Last week, we asked you what your dream vacation would be, and around 50% of you answered "a tropical island" while around 25% said "sippin' wine in Italy" — "cabin in the mountains" came in a distant third. Apparently, no one is dreaming about a cruise.