DETROIT (AP) — A program that provides cash is coming to Detroit to help pregnant women cope with bills, expenses and the high cost of caring for a child.
Democratic Mayor Mary Sheffield announced Monday that Michigan State University’s Rx Kids program is expected to open in the city within her first 100 days in office. Sheffield was elected in November and took office last week as Detroit’s first female mayor.
The program distributes a one-time payment of $1,500 to expectant mothers during pregnancy. Next is $500 per month for the first six months of the child’s life. Families are expected to use the money to pay for rent, utilities, food, diapers, infant formula, transportation, medical care and other necessities.
There are no income requirements. Registration is online. The recipient must confirm that she is pregnant.
Rx Kids launched in 2024 in Flint, Michigan to help families and babies escape deep poverty. The program has since expanded to 20 other cities in the state. By the end of January, eight more cities are expected to join.
Michigan State University operates the program and it is administered by a nonprofit organization.
Rx Kids of Detroit has raised about $9 million so far but needs $2.5 million more, Sheffield said.
Funding comes from a variety of foundations and corporations. The city will also invest $500,000 each year for the next three years. Michigan committed $250 million in its fiscal 2026 budget to expand the two-year program.
“Half of our children live in poverty,” Sheffield told reporters, flanked by about a half-dozen mothers and a dozen young children. “This means that too many of our children are already embarking on life’s journey with financial hardship before they even take their first steps.”
About 34% of Detroit’s 639,000 residents live in poverty, according to census data. The median household income in Detroit is about $39,200, compared with more than $72,000 in the rest of the state.
Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician and associate dean for public health at Michigan State University, is the program’s founding director. She called it a “bold public health effort to improve outcomes.”
“When our babies don’t get everything they need, they suffer. It makes them sick,” Hanna said Monday.
