NJ Mothers In Certain Areas Can Receive Monthly Payments Totaling $20,000 From The Bridge Project

NEW JERSEY — This week, RWJBarnabas Health announced a $2 million investment in The Bridge Project, a groundbreaking initiative that provides unconditional cash payments to low-income new and expectant mothers, for the first three years of the child's life.

RWJBarnabas Health says it is the only health system in the state to give funding to the program. The $2 million from RWJ was supported by state appropriation funding.

Here's how it works: The program offers a $1,125 prenatal stipend, followed by monthly payments for 36 months to low-income mothers. In New Jersey, eligible participants must be 18 years or older, reside in designated areas (see list below), have an annual household income below $44,000 and be 23 weeks pregnant or less at the time of enrollment. In New Jersey, all applicants must live in Trenton, Paterson or Newark or Gloucester, Salem or Cumberland counties. In total, a mother can receive up to $20,000 for the first three years of her child’s life.

For eligibility criteria in the New Jersey program or to apply, visit www.bridgeproject.org/apply

No Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number is required.

There are similar Bridge programs existing in New York, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Appalachia and Massachusetts. The Bridge Project started as a neighborhood pilot in New York City in 2021, and has grown to eleven states across the U.S. So far, they've given $88 million in direct, unconditional cash support to more than 3,800 moms and babies.

In New Jersey, the program will support 250 women in the state, 100 of whom will be supported by RWJBarnabas Health’s investment.

“Our investment in The Bridge Project is another example of how we are tackling social determinants of health head-on,” said Balpreet Grewal-Virk, PhD, vice president of Community Health at RWJBarnabas Health. “We recognize that the first three years of a child’s life are critical to long-term health and well-being."