Detroit mayor announces expected launch of Rx Kids program

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said Monday that Detroit is joining Michigan State University’s Rx Kids program, which provides cash to help expectant mothers cover bills and other necessities as families prepare for childbirth and early infancy.

Sheffield said the program is expected to open within the first 100 days of her taking office. Sheffield, who was elected in November and was installed last week, said it would be launched during her first months as Detroit’s first female mayor.

Under Rx Kids, mothers receive a one-time allocation of $1,500 during pregnancy, followed by $500 per month throughout the child’s first six months after birth. The program expects families to use the money for items including rent, utilities, food, diapers, baby formula, transportation, and medical care, as well as other essentials. There are no income requirements, sign-up is online, and recipients must verify that they are pregnant.

Program expands after starting in Flint

Rx Kids began in 2024 in Flint, Michigan, and is aimed at removing families and infants from deep poverty. Michigan State University runs the program, which is administered by a nonprofit. The initiative has expanded to 20 other cities across the state, and Sheffield said that by the end of January another eight cities are expected to join.

Sheffield said fundraising for Detroit’s portion of the program is underway. She said about $9 million has been raised for Rx Kids in Detroit, and that about $2.5 million more is needed.

Funding for the program, Sheffield said, comes from various foundations and businesses, and the city will also contribute $500,000 annually over the next three years. In addition, she said the state of Michigan committed $250 million for expansion of the two-year-old program in its fiscal year 2026 budget.

Sheffield said poverty is a major driver of financial strain for Detroit families. “Half of our children are living in poverty,” Sheffield told reporters, describing how she said financial hardship can burden children before their first steps.

The program announcement came as Sheffield cited census data on poverty and household income in Detroit. The reported figures included that about 34% of Detroit’s 639,000 residents live in poverty, and that the city’s medium household income is about $39,200 compared with more than $72,000 for the rest of the state.

Program founding director calls it public health effort

Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician and associate dean of Public Health at Michigan State, is the program’s founding director. Hanna said the effort is intended to improve outcomes.

Hanna called Rx Kids a “bold public health effort to improve outcomes.” She also said, “When our babies don’t have everything they need, that hurts them. It makes them sick.”