# Baltimore Voters Approve 'Baby Fund' Charter Amendment Giving Direct Cash to New and Expectant Parents by About 70 to 30, Fox News Reports

Question I sets aside 3 cents per $100 of taxable property value, about $17 million in the first year. Supporters say cost of living drove the vote. The council still writes the payment rules. Fox did not hear from the campaign manager or the mayor.

- Section: [Economy](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/economy/)
- Published: 2026-11-06
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/baltimore-question-i-baby-fund-direct-cash-new-mothers-3-cents-per-100-17-million-brandon-scott-guaranteed-income-fox-news/

Baltimore voters have approved a permanent, taxpayer-funded cash program for new and expecting parents, Fox News reports.

The measure. Question I amends the city charter to create the Baltimore Baby Fund, Fox says. It passed by roughly 70 to 30 after organizers gathered more than the 10,000 valid signatures needed. The city must put 3 cents per $100 of assessed taxable property value into the fund each year, which Fox says should raise about $17 million in its first year.

What it pays. According to the mayor's office, every newborn enrolled will be eligible for a one-time cash payment. Expectant and new parents may get more, such as a one-time payment during pregnancy or monthly assistance and other support. The City Council keeps the power to set payment rules and eligibility through later legislation, so the amounts are not fixed.

Who backed it. Fox says the Maryland Child Alliance led the push, with Mayor Brandon Scott, a national co-chair of Mayors for Guaranteed Income. Shafeka Hashash of the Economic Security Project told Fox that "the cost of the basics like groceries, gas, healthcare and childcare continues to rise" while paychecks lag. She said poverty rises 45 percent from the last month of pregnancy to the first month after birth. Tegan Lecheler of the Mother & Infant Cash Coalition said the vote shows voters want "affordability and healthcare" addressed. Both groups promote cash programs, so they are not neutral.

The history. Scott previously ran the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund, a pilot from August 2022 to July 2024. It paid $1,000 a month to 200 low-income parents aged 18 to 24, using American Rescue Plan money.

Why it matters here. The vote is a local sign of how affordability is shaping ballot measures. It also commits a fixed share of property tax value to cash payments each year. Fox reports only supporters' views, and the dollar amounts per family are not settled.

What we could not check. We did not see the ballot language or the city's cost estimate. The 70-30 margin is rounded and the revenue figure is Fox's. We found no opposing view in the report, and Fox says campaign manager Emily Yu and Mayor Scott did not reply to its requests for comment.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/media/affordability-drove-baltimore-voters-approve-measure-giving-direct-cash-new-mothers)