More than 11 million children in the United States live in poverty. The diagnosis is clear: America has a child poverty problem. But what if there was a prescription that could solve it? That is precisely what Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician and public health advocate, envisions for families across Michigan.
Hanna is the director of Rx Kids, the nation’s first citywide cash assistance program for families. Rx Kids gives mothers $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 monthly for the first year of their child’s life. The groundbreaking program started in Flint, has expanded to Kalamazoo and Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula, and will begin in Pontiac this May. Rx Kids is universal, meaning all pregnant mothers and infants in participating areas qualify regardless of income. Families have the freedom to spend these funds on whatever they need—diapers, food, utilities, rent, etc. By placing no stipulations on spending or income, Rx Kids builds trust, reduces stigma, and eliminates administrative barriers.
Since launching last January, over $6 million has been distributed to more than 1,000 families. Rx Kids has mirrored the success of other cash assistance programs and delivered life-changing results because it works in a fundamentally different way from other programs that help families. The Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health (MCMCH), an Alliance Michigan grantee, has supported Rx Kids from the start. For Amy Zaagman, the Executive Director at MCMCH and member of the Rx Kids Advisory Circle, some of the most promising outcomes are an increase in prenatal visits and a decrease in maternal depression. “By providing resources, we are not only filling material needs but also alleviating toxic stress. That’s huge,” says Zaagman.
Ta’Sheena Williams, the Policy Director at MCMCH, praises the program for being “by the community, for the community.” As a Flint native, Williams is especially enthusiastic about her hometown receiving an economic boost that will help its young families thrive.
A key lesson from Rx Kids is the importance of cultivating bipartisan support. Although direct cash assistance is generally considered a more progressive-leaning policy proposal, Republican Senator John Damoose is an outspoken advocate for Rx Kids. In an opinion piece for the Detroit Free Press, he made the case for why conservative, pro-life Christians like himself should support the program. His points are summarized below:
Parental choice. Rx Kids puts parents in the driver’s seat. “With Rx Kids, families are free to choose what best meets their needs. It cuts down on all the government red tape of other programs that seek to monitor the poor and tell them what they can and can’t have. If you like small government, Rx Kids is for you,” says Damoose.
Rural support. Despite many rural areas having some of the highest rates of poverty, rural communities often feel like an afterthought when it comes to public resources. Damoose argues, “Those of us in rural Michigan know how hard it is to get by… We don’t have as many resources to help our moms and babies as many other larger communities.” Rx Kids is trying to address this gap by expanding to five counties in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula.
Fiscal responsibility. Damoose commends Rx Kids for its innovative public-private partnership that reduces financial strain on the state. He also claims, “It provides a massive return on investment: in the long run, we will save money with healthier kids and communities.” He also notes that the cash will be spent and reinvested locally, supporting small businesses and uplifting entire communities.
Faith. As Damoose says, “Helping moms and babies truly fits into the call of Jesus.” He urges fellow conservative lawmakers to recognize that being truly pro-life means supporting expectant mothers and providing resources that help them parent. Rx Kids does just that.
While faith communities are natural allies when it comes to supporting families, they can be overlooked in policymaking and advocacy.
Rachel Anderson, the founder of Hope& Consulting, believes there is an opportunity in Michigan and elsewhere to build more support for family policies on the basis of faith. “People of faith often see children as having unique and fundamental dignity as human beings, and the fundamental worth in families as being a place where children are nurtured,” she says. Her firm crafts strategies and messaging that policy advocates can use to bridge ideological and political divides–especially when speaking with faith communities. The Alliance recently added Hope& to the roster of organizations it funds to provide responsive support to policy advocates at no expense to their organizations.
Anderson says this holistic view of children and their relationship to family and community provides a strong and fruitful foundation for advocacy. Citing the words of the Reverend Jennifer Bailey—change moves at the speed of relationship—Anderson encourages advocates to make connections on a personal, human level.
Michigan is already showing the real impact of connections based on the shared value of the importance of thriving children and families.
Michigan is already showing the real impact of connections based on the shared value of the importance of thriving children and families.
Early research shows Flint moms and babies with access to Rx Kids were faring better in 2024 than in previous years or in nearby geographies. Nearly 90 percent of program participants said it improved their financial security and helped them parent more confidently. The extra support allowed mothers in the program to pursue their education, secure stable housing, and advance their careers. Rx Kids families saw a marked improvement in the likelihood that they were paid in full (not behind) on their rent or mortgage—and a large reduction in how much they owed if they were behind. In contrast, both of these housing stability outcomes worsened for non-Flint families between 2023 and 2024. Not a single low-income Flint 2024 Rx Kids family had been evicted since childbirth, which is not true of non-Flint, low-income families.
Two new Michigan communities are now working to launch the program for their local mothers and babies.
“Though our political divisions always seem to be on center stage, there is so much voters and policymakers agree on,” Zaagman says. “In Michigan, one of those things is giving mothers the resources and freedom they need to ensure their families are strong and successful.”
