Baltimore, Maryland: Voters Approve Baby Fund, Setting Aside About $17 Million a Year for Families With Newborns

Baltimore voters approved Question I on Tuesday, Nov. 3, writing the Baltimore Baby Fund into the city charter. The measure passed by roughly 70 percent to 30 percent, Fox News reported. It creates a dedicated, permanent line in the city budget for a fund meant to improve the financial stability of families with newborns, at a moment when household costs are the top complaint in the city.

How the fund is paid for

The charter amendment requires the city to set aside 3 cents for every $100 of assessed taxable property value, drawn from existing property tax revenue. The Maryland Child Alliance, the group that campaigned for the measure, estimates about $17 million would be set aside in the fund's first year. The ballot language says the money must be used to enhance the economic stability of families with newborns, and it cannot be used to replace funding for newborns that already exists in the city budget, the Baltimore Banner reported.

What families could get

Mayor Brandon Scott has said he plans to use the fund for direct cash help. He has proposed one-time payments of $1,000 to parents of newborns enrolled in the program, with possible additional cash assistance or contributions to a Maryland 529 college savings account, the Banner and 92Q reported. The mayor's office says all Baltimore City newborns enrolled in the program will be eligible for a one-time cash payment, and eligible expectant and new parents may receive additional help, Fox News reported. Scott announced a partnership with the CASH Campaign of Maryland to distribute the funds, the Banner reported. Scott also serves as a national co-chair of Mayors for Guaranteed Income, Fox News reported.

What the vote did not settle

The approved language does not guarantee the $1,000 payments. Unlike the version voters were offered in 2024, this year's question creates the fund and leaves the spending choices to the mayor and the City Council, the Banner reported. Scott and the council, led by President Zeke Cohen, must still agree on enabling legislation that sets eligibility rules, payment amounts and how the money is distributed. An advisory board will develop implementation recommendations, and funding is expected to begin during the next fiscal year, 92Q reported.

A second try after 2024

The Maryland Child Alliance collected more than 10,000 valid signatures to put Question I on the ballot, Fox News reported, and it was the only city ballot question this fall that came from a citizen petition drive, the Banner reported. Campaign manager Emily Yu praised the grassroots support behind the effort, WYPR reported. The 2024 version, called the Baltimore Baby Bonus, would have required one-time $1,000 payments at the birth or adoption of a child. Scott sued to block that question, and the Maryland Supreme Court found that requiring the city to make the payments would have eroded the discretion legislators have to decide how city money is spent, the Banner reported. Baltimore voters also approved other charter questions on Tuesday, including Question G, which bars the sale or franchise rental of the city stormwater system, and Question H, which creates a city department for water and wastewater, the Banner and 92Q reported.