DETROIT (WXYZ) — The city of Detroit has become the largest city in the state to participate in the Rx Kids program. Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the city would join the program in January.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's January video report:
The Rx Kids program provides direct cash assistance to expectant and new mothers before and after the birth of their child.
Those wanting to participate can find out more and sign up on the Rx Kids website.
“Detroit has always been a city that leads with heart and courage, and today we are once again setting a national standard by ensuring that every mother has real support, and every baby has a strong start,” Sheffield said in a January statement.
According to the city, an estimated 8,000 babies are born in Detroit each year, but around half of the children living in the city live in poverty.
Under the program, Rx Kids provides a $1,500 cash prescription during pregnancy, and then $500 per month throughout the baby's first six months of life. The program is also live in cities like Pontiac and Flint, and hopes to be in nearly 30 cities across the state by the end of this month.
"It's a stress reliever. It takes the weight off your shoulders," expectant Detroit mother Kyeisha Ford said. "Just having the little extra help, the little extra push."
It's a program from Michigan State University and led by Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician and associate dean of public health at Michigan State.
“We are the richest country in the history of the world and should not be okay with our babies growing up without the resources needed to thrive," she said.
The city is expected to invest $500,00 annually for three years, and it is also getting support from The Skillman Foundation, GreenLight Fund Detroit, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Skyline Foundation, Ballmer Group, General Motors, Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, and Huntington Bank. However, the majority of the funding for the program comes from the 2026 state budget, in which $250 million has been allocated over three years in the FY2026 budget.
“RxKids is the nation’s first-ever program that puts $7,500 directly in the pockets of new moms to help them care for their babies while improving their finances and health, and I’m so proud that Mayor Sheffield is expanding it into Detroit," Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement.
There are no income requirements to sign up. However, expectant mothers will have to prove they are pregnant and go through an approval process. The funds will then be directly transferred to their accounts. Parents can sign up here.
