How are guaranteed income pilot programs improving outcomes for parents and their children? This brief provides early insights from parents participating in Mayors for a Guaranteed Income programs in Atlanta, Birmingham, Ala., Louisville, Ky., and Shreveport, La.

Parents describe how these direct cash programs are giving them critical economic relief which, in turn, is enabling them to better support their children materially and emotionally. Interviewed parents reported less stress and more meaningful time spent with their children. They also reported using the direct cash assistance on necessities like rent, more nutritious foods, and developmental and extracurricular programs for their children. 

The brief is part of a longer-term MGI evaluation that Abt is conducting in six U.S. communities.