Birth Allowance for Beginning Year (BABY) Benefit

There is a new, one-time, cash payment available to children born on or after November 5, 2025, to Cash Assistance (CA) households with an active CA case at the time of birth.  

Known as the BABY benefit, this $1,800 cash grant is available for each eligible newborn. The payment will be accessible on the household’s EBT card. There are no restrictions on how the money can be used; the benefit amount may be used at the recipient's discretion.

In households with an active Cash Assistance case where the payee is an SSI recipient, grandparent, relative caretaker, sanctioned parent, or noncitizen parent, the payment may still be made as long as there is an existing, active Cash Assistance case that the newborn will be added to.

Families must add the newborn to the active CA case with 90 days and submit:

• Verification of birth

• Verification of citizenship

• An application for a Social Security number

• Cooperation with child support enforcement, if applicable

This payment is excluded as income for SNAP and HEAP. 

Details can be found here: https://otda.ny.gov/policy/directives/2025/ADM/25-ADM-07.pdf