Uncertainty continues over whether a cash assistance program for pregnant and new mothers can access $20 million in the upcoming state budget.
The money in question comes from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program, which helps pay for child welfare supports, including foster care, adoption assistance, and hunger relief programs.
Rx Kids had expected to receive $20 million in TANF dollars to help continue its expansion. It offers all moms in a coverage area $1,500 while they’re pregnant and $500 monthly payments for either the first six or 12 months of their child’s life.
The final version of the budget breaks down that TANF money into five smaller pieces, including “prenatal care outreach and services delivery supports” and “special projects.” Splicing the money that way could make it difficult for Rx Kids to access it because of potential requirements to unlock it.
Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp) told reporters this week that he didn’t want Rx Kids to have that money, since he believes more traditional social safety net programs with tougher eligibility requirements need it more.
“I’m hopeful that we’ll have a (Women, Infants, and Children) program, that our child protective services will be well funded, that the cash assistance program will be well funded,” Hall said during a press conference.
Hall said he picked the new pots of money for the TANF dollars specifically so RxKids wouldn’t be eligible for it.
RxKids covers lower-income communities across both urban and rural areas, including Detroit to the entire Upper Peninsula. Though it has maintained bipartisan support, it’s also gotten criticism for not having stronger requirements to ensure only U.S. citizens or low-income families benefit from it.
Leadership with Rx Kids told Bridge Michigan earlier this week that it could still access the TANF funds despite the new designations. Bridge reported the group has other sources of financing, including private donations, to ensure Medicaid dollars only go to Medicaid-recipients.
A spokesperson for Rx Kids Wednesday stood by the organization's comments when asked for an update in the wake of Hall’s comments. The organization directed the Michigan Public Radio Network to the Senate majority leader and the State Budget Office for further comment.
Neither Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) nor the State Budget Office were able to provide a comment Wednesday.
In the last state budget, Rx Kids did receive $20M in TANF funding, though House Republicans clawed most of that money back. Unaffected, however, is a remaining $250M in other public health money that lawmakers budgeted for Rx Kids last year, required to be spent by the end of September 2029.
