“[MMT] has really helped me in preparing for [my daughter’s] school. The money has also helped me cover my monthly bills, and get caught up on some old debts. It also helps to pay for things like my daughter’s school books. And it’s helped me in preparing for college. My hope for her right now is to be the first one in our family to graduate from high school—my brothers and I all left school early. I want her to have a real high school diploma, not a GED.
For many of the moms, having more consistent access to money meant they could finally stop living paycheck-to-paycheck and focus on not just physical health, but the mental health of themselves and their kids as well. “My goal with my kids is to be an all-around support system for them in all aspects of their life, especially for their mental health because I think that’s a really important issue in the Black community.
A common story among the MMT moms is how guaranteed income gives them a financial buffer, allowing them to relax and spend more time focused on their families and themselves instead of worrying about monthly bills. For their children, it lets them avoid the perpetual stress that comes with poverty, freeing up mental space to focus on school. In the long-term, that financial stability will likely enable more low-income children to go to college and achieve higher-paying careers.