As the first program of its kind in the U.S., Rx Kids gives moms in select Michigan communities no-strings-attached cash during pregnancy and early infancy to improve health and economic stability.
“It’s this bold effort that says, ‘Hey, we’re not OK with babies being born into poverty in the richest country in the history of the world,’” says Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician who launched the program in 2024. “We can do better.” (If you’ve heard Hanna’s name before, it could be because in 2015 her research exposed the Flint, Mich., water crisis.)
Participating moms receive $1,500 during pregnancy, and babies get $500 a month for six to 12 months after birth. According to the organization, the moms who go through the program tend to have a 4.2% lower risk of eviction, greater food access, a 14% lower likelihood of postpartum depression, and increased confidence as parents. Thirty percent of them said the payments helped them get a higher-paying job or start a business. Rx Kids has distributed more than $22 million to over 5,600 families in Michigan and will soon launch in its biggest city yet, Detroit.
“Moms say, ‘I can breathe,’” says Hanna. “‘A weight has been lifted off my shoulders.’”