McKinleyville, California – A New Initiative to Support Pregnant Residents

In a bid to provide direct financial assistance to pregnant individuals in need, the McKinleyville Family Resource Center has initiated the Humboldt Income Program. The program aims to offer monthly payments of $920 to 150 eligible participants for 18 months, with no strings attached.

Robin Baker, the Co-Executive Director and Program Manager for the Humboldt Income Program, highlighted the program’s criteria, stating that it is open to residents of Humboldt County in their first 27 weeks of pregnancy, aged 18 or older, and living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Currently, 99 individuals have enrolled, leaving available slots for an additional 51 participants.

Baker explained the selection process, indicating that a randomized controlled trial is conducted weekly to determine the recipients. In this lottery system, 150 individuals are chosen to receive the full $920 payments, while the remaining 100 receive a nominal $20.

The program provides flexibility in payment methods, including direct deposit, debit card by mail or pick up at the McKinleyville Family Resource Center, or a prepaid virtual debit card.

Baker expressed optimism about the program’s impact, stating, “There is a lot of work happening at the national and state level around policy advocacy for guaranteed income. So I’m hopeful that this means there will be a continuation of this program or others like it.”

To participate, individuals must be referred by one of the McKinleyville Family Resource Center partners, which include Open Door Community Health Centers, Redwoods Rural Health Center, United Indian Health Services, Hoopa TANF, CalWORKs Eligibility, Providence Medical Group, Programs of Providence St. Joseph Hospital Paso a Paso, CARE Network, and K:Ima’w Medical Center.

For more information about the Humboldt Income Program and how to apply, interested individuals can visit the center’s website.