Rx Kids pitch seeks county support to bring monthly cash payments to Ypsilanti families

Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician and associate dean for public health at Michigan State University, asked the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners to consider helping bring Rx Kids — a cash-transfer program for pregnant people and newborns — to Ypsilanti and other high-need parts of the county.

The program gives participating pregnant people $1,500 mid-pregnancy and then $500 per month for either six or 12 months after birth. Hanna said Rx Kids began in Flint in January 2024 and has since expanded to 11 Michigan communities with a mix of philanthropic support and a state TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) redirection. She said the state provided $16.5 million in FY2024 and $20 million more in FY2025 to expand the model.

Hanna told commissioners the program has produced measurable results in participating communities: improved housing stability and nutrition security, reductions in postpartum depression and parental stress, and population-level decreases in premature births, low birthweight and NICU admissions. She said more than $14 million has been disbursed directly to families to date and that local spending produced a multiplier effect that benefited small businesses.

Commissioners pressed Hanna on costs and geography. She said the program selects communities using vital-record birth-certificate data and the share of Medicaid births as an objective proxy for need. For Ypsilanti, she said the prenatal-plus-six-month model would cost about $650,000 per year; roughly $200,000 of that was already committed from state TANF redirection and local pledges, with a remaining gap of roughly $500,000 for a two-year launch. She said communities must provide or raise matching dollars to access the state reimbursement, and matches can flow to Michigan State University (the program fiduciary), GiveDirectly (the cash-transfer administrator) or a local community foundation depending on local preference.

Hanna said communities may be defined by municipality or ZIP code. She emphasized the program’s high take-up rate — near 100% in the communities she described — which she attributed to easy eligibility rules, outreach through prenatal clinics and a data-use agreement with state vital records so missed births can be followed up with a welcome packet.

Commissioners asked whether the county could pursue a countywide rollout rather than city-only pilots. Hanna said the program could expand countywide if matching dollars were available, but recommended starting in the highest-need pockets and phasing in additional communities. She also described ongoing conversations with federal and state partners about sustainability, including talks with CMS about drawing down health-care funds.

Several commissioners signaled support for a pilot in the Ypsilanti-area and asked county staff to follow up on budget implications and potential philanthropic matches.

Ending: Commissioners did not vote on a formal commitment at this working session; Hanna left materials with the board and said she would follow up with details and local funders. Several commissioners asked staff to return with cost scenarios and options for a countywide versus targeted pilot.