The Maryland Child Alliance is excited to announce our proposed Charter Amendment that would create the Baltimore Baby Fund, a fund that responds to the overwhelming evidence of the positive impact of financial support for new parents.
The Amendment
Revisions from the Baltimore Baby Bonus to the Baltimore Baby Fund:
In the 2024 election cycle, our team campaigned for the Baltimore Baby Bonus, which intended to create a fund in the city budget to give a $1000 direct payment to parents of newborns in Baltimore City.
Because this was deemed an unconstitutional charter amendment, we have updated the specifics of the fund to ensure we meet the new criteria. The Baby Fund does not specify exactly how the fund will be spent, only that it must be spent “exclusively to enhance the economic stability of families with newborns in Baltimore City.” We are confident and unrelenting in our fight to support Baltimore’s children!
If the Charter Amendment is passed, the Baltimore Baby Fund will be funded by a mandatory annual appropriation of at least $0.03 on every $100 of assessed or assessable value of all property in the City of Baltimore (excluding exempted properties), as well as through grants and donations made to the Fund. This funding structure is modeled after the Children and Youth Fund, which was established through a similar Charter Amendment in 2016.
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