BALTIMORE — Child wellness advocates are working to revive a proposal that could provide financial incentives for new parents in Baltimore City.

The original “Baltimore Baby Bonus” proposal failed last August when the Maryland Supreme Court ruled an effort to let voters decide whether to amend the Baltimore City Charter by giving at least $1,000 to new parents did not fall under “proper charter material.” The decision ultimately validated a lawsuit filed by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the Baltimore City Council, who argued residents lacked the authority to enact an initiative so closely resembling city-sponsored legislation.

Now, advocacy groups like the Maryland Child Alliance (MCA) are trying to get a new amendment on the 2026 election ballot. Known as the “Baltimore Baby Fund,” this effort comes with a stated goal of reducing child poverty and “enhancing the economic stability of families with newborns in Baltimore City,” according to an MCA news release.

According to MCA Outreach Chair Julia Ellis, the organization has intentionally made its proposal more vague — mostly by eliminating explicit support for $1,000 direct cash payments — to ensure further compliance with the law. Ellis said the name change from “Baby Bonus” to “Baby Fund” reflects this legal restructuring.

“‘Baby Bonus’ really refers to a cash payment, and at this time, we just wanted to be more accurate about what this really is — it’s a fund,” Ellis told The Baltimore Sun. “We don’t know exactly how it will be used and distributed … ultimately that will be decided by City Council.”

Ellis said some aspects of the Baby Fund proposal are unchanged from the Baby Bonus, such as the 0.03% “mandatory annual appropriation” property value funding structure borrowed from the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund. She hopes strong public support for the proposal — last year’s push for a ballot amendment received about 14,000 signatures out of a required 10,000 — will drive elected leaders to introduce legislation in support of MCA’s efforts.

“We’re hoping that because we have addressed the specific [legal] concerns, that the City Council and the mayor’s office will not stand in our way,” Ellis said, adding that MCA is “not backing down.”

City Council President Zeke Cohen said he has had “productive” discussions about the proposal with child health advocates, though he declined to say if the council would join another potential lawsuit against the effort. Mayor Brandon Scott’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposal.

“I’ve had some productive conversations with the folks from the Baby Bonus effort, and I really appreciate their intent around reducing childhood poverty … I will just say that we share a goal of reducing childhood poverty,” Cohen said.

Estimates on last year’s Baby Bonus proposal suggested the initiative would cost about $7 million annually given the appropriation funding structure. The city is looking at a $14.4 million deficit in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, according to the mayor’s office.

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