Clare County is now the latest community in Michigan to launch its own version of Rx Kids, the anti-poverty program that gives pregnant moms and babies thousands of dollars in cash aid during pregnancy and after birth.
“Our families need this desperately,” said Janice Parrett, the maternal infant health program coordinator for the Central Michigan District Health Department. “It's going to save lives.”
The program originally began in Flint in 2024 as an effort to boost maternal and infant health outcomes. All residents in participating communities can enroll, regardless of income, to receive $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 for the first six months to a year of the baby’s life, no strings attached.
Thanks to a mix of state funding and philanthropic donations, the program recently expanded to Kalamazoo, Pontiac, and five counties in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. More than 3,000 families across the state have enrolled in the program, and have received more than $12 million through a mix of public and private funding.
Clare County is the first community in central Michigan to launch the program. The area is rural and remote, Parrett said, making it hard for families to access primary and prenatal care. “We don't even have a delivering hospital. We have a small community hospital, but most everything gets transferred out to surrounding counties.”
Housing and transportation options are limited, so getting to medical appointments can be a challenge. “Having this little bit of cash, just to put gas in their tank, get someone to watch their children for the day, it's just going to make a huge impact on being able to access health care,” Parrett said.
“To some of us, $1,500 seems like it's not life-changing, but it really is going to be if they can buy a crib. That could save this child's life. Instead of buying something at a rummage sale that's recalled, or to get a new car seat instead of getting one that's broke. Or just to buy some better food that they will like instead of eating something that might make them sick. It is just going to impact their lives so greatly.”
Some 300 families in Clare County are expected to enroll in the first year, according to an Rx Kids spokesperson. Funding has been secured for one year so far, with more than $1 million in donations from the Skyline Foundation, Clare County Community Foundation, and MyMichigan Health. The state will also provide more than $400,000 from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) federal grants.
The program has received bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans in the state Legislature.
“Rx Kids supports families at a critical time, strengthening our local economy, and keeping more young families rooted right here in mid-Michigan,” said Republican State Representative Tom Kunse in a statement. “This is the most efficient way to help our community—targeted, meaningful support without growing government. We’re not expanding bureaucracy; we’re investing directly in families.”
