Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BI
- Guaranteed basic income helps some parents pay for childcare and stay afloat during maternity leave.
- With cash payments, parents report more job security and higher educational outcomes.
- Basic income critics say the programs are too expensive and discourage participants from working.
Celeste Lord-Timlin just had her first baby. Siobhan is about a month old, and it's a victory when she naps just long enough for Lord-Timlin to rest or take a phone call. Meals or a shower sometimes have to wait until her husband returns from work and can hold the rosy-cheeked newborn.