Lift Babies Out of Poverty

For most people, a child’s birth is a joyous event. For too many families, though, income plunges and poverty spikes right before a child is born and remains high throughout the first year. These first months of life are critical for a baby’s development; it’s also when families are struggling the most.

Growing up in poverty is one of the leading causes of poor health. Rx Kids boldly tackles a root cause of health disparities—economic insecurity—through the provision of unconditional cash allowances to pregnant moms and babies in Flint, Michigan.

Through Rx Kids, families will be “prescribed” a total of $7,500 in cash. This will include a one-time $1,500 payment to expectant mothers, followed by $500 per month for the first year of a child’s life. All pregnant women and infants who are residents of the City of Flint will be eligible for the program, regardless of the mother’s or family’s income, and families can spend the money in whatever way they think is best.

Cash payments will enable families to meet basic needs. By increasing economic stability, housing stability, food security and nutrition, and health care uptake, these payments can improve infant and maternal health and wellbeing, and even long-term outcomes. Rx Kids will be the first citywide prenatal and infant cash allowance program of its kind in the United States.

Help Support the Nation’s First Citywide Prenatal and Infant Cash Allowance Program

A gift of any amount can make a world of difference for babies and families in Flint. Will you give a gift to help eliminate childhood poverty in Flint? In addition, your gift will help move the program closer to receiving a $15 million challenge grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation — a one-to-one match that will unlock once Rx Kids raises an additional $15 million from other sources.

When you give to Rx Kids, you support providing cash payments to every expectant mother and infant in Flint, Michigan—a city with one of the highest rates of child poverty in the country. In doing so, we will improve infant and maternal health, the economic and mental wellbeing of participants, and community-wide outcomes.

We Are Determined Change Agents

Led by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha at the Pediatric Public Health Initiative, Rx Kids is a transformational effort to address child poverty and health equity. By giving cash allowances to pregnant moms and families, we will lift babies out of poverty, restore dignity and improve public health.

Make a Gift by Mail:

University Advancement
Spartan Way
535 Chestnut Road, Room 300
East Lansing, MI 48824

*Make check payable to Michigan State University and write “Appeal 24OOPCF1RXKIDS” in the note section.

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