Rx Kids, the innovative cash aid program created in Flint, is quietly reshaping how Michigan thinks about supporting mothers and babies. What began as a localized effort is now present in 11 communities across the state, and lawmakers are weighing whether it should become a statewide guarantee. The program, designed by Flint pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna, offers what she calls “cash prescriptions”—a lump sum of $1,500 during mid-pregnancy, followed by $500 per month through the baby’s first year of life. In places like Hazel Park and Royal Oak Township, where the program just launched, eligible families will receive $1,500 during pregnancy and then $500 monthly for the first six months after birth.
Supporters of Rx Kids say the program addresses the most immediate forms of infant poverty. The idea is straightforward: if mothers have cash in hand, they can make choices that directly stabilize their households, whether that means paying rent, buying diapers, or simply giving themselves time to heal after birth. “The Rx Kids program is providing critical cash assistance that is already helping hundreds of families and newborns in Pontiac with the essentials that are allowing them to thrive. We’re thrilled to support and expand this program to even more families in Hazel Park and Royal Oak Township,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter in a statement announcing the expansion.
The Hazel Park and Royal Oak Township rollout comes through a partnership between Rx Kids, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions initiative, and the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA). Susan Harding, CEO of OLHSA, described the effort in simple but powerful terms: “When moms and babies have the financial resources they need right from the start, it strengthens families and builds healthier communities.” That perspective highlights what Rx Kids is attempting to do beyond direct payments—reshape how society thinks about maternal and infant health, not as a question of individual responsibility but as a collective investment.
The numbers tell a compelling story. Since launching more than a year ago, Rx Kids has distributed roughly $14 million to over 3,300 families. A survey conducted in May 2025 among participants in Flint, Pontiac, Kalamazoo, and five counties in the Eastern Upper Peninsula found that 87% of mothers said the program helped them “make ends meet.” Seventy-two percent reported that the support allowed them to take time off work to care for their baby, themselves, or other family members. In a nation where new parents often return to work within weeks of giving birth, these figures show how direct aid can create breathing room that standard policy does not provide.
Dr. Hanna, who serves as both director of Rx Kids and associate dean of public health at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, framed the expansion as part of a larger vision. “This expansion reflects our commitment to ensuring every child in Michigan has a strong start in life,” she said. Her words carry weight not only because of her medical expertise but because Flint—where she first piloted the program—is a city where issues of poverty, health, and environmental justice intersect. It’s no coincidence that this experiment in reshaping maternal and infant health policy started there.
The architecture of Rx Kids is notable for its blend of academic research, public-private funding, and grassroots implementation. Tens of millions of dollars in both public and private investment have flowed into the effort. More importantly, the program has gained bipartisan interest in Lansing, where a bill in the Michigan Senate seeks to scale Rx Kids across the state. That legislation, if passed, would embed cash prescriptions into Michigan’s policy framework, potentially making it the first state in the country to guarantee such a program for all new mothers. The fact that lawmakers from both parties are considering it reflects a recognition that maternal and infant health outcomes affect everyone, regardless of political affiliation.
For Oakland County, the addition of Hazel Park and Royal Oak Township builds on an earlier expansion in Pontiac. Coulter’s office emphasized that these communities, often overlooked in conversations about poverty and health inequities, are now at the center of a statewide conversation. Harding’s comments about healthier communities highlight another point: the benefits of Rx Kids may ripple outward, reducing strain on healthcare systems, stabilizing neighborhoods, and contributing to long-term educational and economic outcomes for children.
Still, questions remain. What happens once the baby turns one and the payments stop? Will families fall back into financial precarity? And if the Senate bill fails, how will communities sustain programs that rely heavily on philanthropic and temporary public funds? These are the questions that will shape whether Rx Kids remains a promising experiment or becomes a permanent fixture of Michigan’s social policy landscape.
The lived reality of participants offers the clearest window into the program’s impact. Consider the mothers who used the funds to buy cribs, car seats, or cover a bill during unpaid maternity leave. For them, Rx Kids represents more than a cash transfer—it’s a signal that their needs are recognized. At scale, that recognition could shift how Michigan addresses poverty: not as an unsolvable crisis but as a set of challenges responsive to direct, intentional investment.
It is also worth noting that Rx Kids has launched in communities across geographic and cultural lines, from Flint to the Upper Peninsula. That breadth suggests the program is not confined to urban centers with high poverty rates but is adaptable to varied contexts. Lawmakers who support the Senate bill often point to this adaptability as evidence that a statewide model could work. Detractors, on the other hand, may question whether Michigan can afford such a program in perpetuity or whether it creates dependencies. Yet the data from the May survey push back on that skepticism, showing that families are using the aid to stabilize, not to disengage from work or community life.
The expansion into Hazel Park and Royal Oak Township adds to a growing momentum that is difficult to ignore. Eleven cities and counties now host Rx Kids. Families in Oakland County are enrolling. Lawmakers in Lansing are debating. Dr. Hanna continues to press her case. And behind the numbers, mothers are making choices they otherwise could not. In that sense, the story of Rx Kids is not just about policy, but about people—about women who deserve the resources to bring children into the world with dignity.
For families in Hazel Park and Royal Oak Township, the application process is straightforward. Pregnant mothers living in either community and infants born on or after September 1 are eligible. More information is available at rxkids.org.
About Post Author
