Rx Kids

Rx Kids, an anti-poverty cash aid program for new and expectant mothers, is getting $270 million in this fiscal year’s state budget.

New research by the organizers of Rx Kids, a universal cash aid program for new moms and babies in Flint, found families in the program were less likely to be evicted or report postpartum depression.

Since the program began in Flint last year, it’s distributed more than $13 million dollars to more than 3,000 families in Flint, Kalamazoo, Pontiac, Clare County and five counties in the eastern Upper Peninsula.

Insights on immigrant and infant health in Washtenaw County, details of a Grand-Rapids based program to provide monthly cash payments to mothers with low income, and a look back at the Jefferson Beach Amusement Park.

The Rx Kids program gives $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 a month in the first months of a child's life. Legislation in Lansing would expand state support for it.

It's the latest community to launch the program that gives moms $1,500 during pregnancy, plus $500 a month for the first six months of the baby's life, no strings attached.

The city of Dearborn is launching a financial assistance program aimed at providing thousands of dollars for expectant mothers.

In this edition of Stateside, we discuss the launch of the Rx Kids program in Dearborn; also how the conservation efforts for the Kirtland's warbler are impacting other species. Additionally, we highlight a fishing tradition in Michigan’s smallest city. Lastly, a puzzle maker has filed a lawsuit against Michigan State University and one of its professors.

Families can get $1,500 cash in pregnancy and $500 a month for the baby's first six months, no strings attached. Nearly 800 Pontiac moms are expected to enroll in the first few years.

The Rx Kids program, which began last year in Flint, will give pregnant moms $1,500 and $500 a month for the baby's first six months, with no strings attached.