Pregnancy is often treated as a personal responsibility, but the effects don't stay personal. When expectant parents can't afford basics like stable housing or healthy food, it can have ripple effects for society. That's why some communities are trying a different approach: giving expecting parents direct cash support during pregnancy. Professor Ali Groves explains how these programs work, focusing on the Philly Joy Bank, and why receiving money with no strings attached can ease stress and help families during a critical period.

For more on this topic:

• Read Groves' analysis in The Gender Policy Report, Parenting is Expensive, Guaranteed Income May Help, co-authored with Libby Valdez and Yuan He

• Check out her op-ed in Penn Live, When Washington fails expecting mothers, Philadelphia shows a better way