Bringing a child into the world is life-changing, but for many mothers in Michigan, it’s also a financial tightrope. Hospital bills, diapers, formula, rent—every expense feels heavier when resources are stretched thin. In Pontiac, where nearly half of children under five live in poverty, that weight is even greater.
A new expansion of the Rx Kids program is stepping in to help, offering direct cash assistance to expecting mothers and newborns. It’s a simple, but necessary intervention: cash in the hands of those who need it the most. Pontiac city officials, program leaders, and funders announced the launch, set for May, as an extension of the model first introduced in Flint last year by pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna.
“Every hour, every day that a baby is born into and grows up in poverty is a failure on all of us. It is a failure on society, because we can do better,” Hanna said.
The statistics back up her words. More than 1,500 families in Flint have already received nearly $7 million through Rx Kids, giving parents a chance to breathe. The program provides $1,500 to mothers in mid-pregnancy, followed by $500 monthly for the first year of the baby’s life. In Pontiac, current funding guarantees families $1,500 while pregnant and $500 per month for six months, with hopes of extending it to a full year.
For too long, Black families have had to rely on a system that questions their needs at every turn. But direct cash assistance removes red tape, offering relief without forcing mothers to justify why they need help.
“We see massive improvements in family financial security, in housing hardship. People can pay their rent. They have less back-owed mortgage,” Hanna explained. “When we survey families, they are using this money, number one, for baby supplies, and then for rent, food, transportation, utilities and child care.”
When nearly half the children in a city are growing up in poverty, the issue isn’t about making better financial decisions—it’s about systemic barriers. It’s about jobs that don’t pay enough, housing that’s unaffordable, and a cost of living that keeps rising while wages stay stagnant. It’s about families forced to make impossible choices between keeping the lights on and buying baby formula.
Diapers alone can cost over $80 a month. Infant care expenses, which can exceed $10,000 annually, are out of reach for many. Rx Kids doesn’t solve every problem, but it gives families one less thing to worry about. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between stability and their child’s well-being.
Programs like this aren’t about charity—they’re about dignity. They acknowledge the truth that Black mothers know all too well: raising a child without financial support is not a personal failure. It’s a reflection of how policies have failed families. The strength of a mother is never in question, but that strength shouldn’t have to come from struggle alone.
Rx Kids is made possible by $8.5 million in public and philanthropic funds. The Pontiac Funders Collaborative, part of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, provided a $1 million grant. Other contributors include the Alix Foundation with $3.5 million, including $500,000 in matching funds, and $3.4 million from the state of Michigan. The City of Pontiac contributed $500,000 from opioid settlement funds, while Priority Health Total Health Foundation added $100,000.
If additional funding comes in, the program could extend to a full 12-month model, just like in Flint and Kalamazoo.
“Rx Kids really empowers Pontiac moms with cash prescriptions so that they can spend just a little bit less time worrying about the first-year expenses and focus on the hardest and most wonderful job there is, caring for and loving babies,” said Hanna.
That kind of empowerment is crucial, particularly for Black mothers who have long been left out of meaningful economic policies. In many cases, financial assistance programs come with restrictions that make access difficult, penalizing parents for working or requiring participation in programs that don’t align with their needs. Direct cash assistance, however, is an approach rooted in trust. It recognizes that mothers know exactly what their families need.
The program is a collaboration between the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency, Pontiac Funders Collaborative, the City of Pontiac, and Oakland County. While Pontiac is next to receive Rx Kids, Hanna confirmed that there are discussions for expansion into Wayne County by June. Other areas, including Saginaw and Lake County, have also expressed interest.
Detroit is a city that knows struggle and resilience in equal measure. Families across the city are navigating rising costs, stagnant wages, and a housing crisis that makes stability harder to maintain. The need for direct financial support is undeniable, especially for Black mothers who have long shouldered the weight of economic inequities. Rx Kids has already proven in Flint that when families receive unrestricted cash assistance, they are able to cover essentials like rent, baby supplies, food, and transportation without jumping through bureaucratic hoops. Detroit, a city with one of the highest child poverty rates in the country, should be next in line for this kind of investment. When nearly half of children in some Detroit neighborhoods live below the poverty line, providing financial relief is not just beneficial—it’s urgent.
The program is designed to be unconditional, meaning there are no income requirements or obligations for families to fulfill to receive the benefits. This is critical in a city like Detroit, where parents are often working multiple jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. Traditional assistance programs often come with restrictions that leave some families excluded or force them to prove their hardship in ways that are invasive and demeaning. Rx Kids takes a different approach, trusting mothers to know exactly what their families need. Expanding this initiative to Detroit would mean fewer babies growing up in financial instability, fewer mothers making impossible choices, and a stronger foundation for the city’s next generation.
Funding is still a factor. Without additional donations, expansion remains uncertain, but the demand is there.
Meeting children’s needs as they grow is an ongoing challenge. Parents are constantly adjusting to new costs, especially with inflation affecting everything from groceries to childcare. This is the reality for countless families in Pontiac. The need for financial relief isn’t seasonal—it’s year-round.
A mother who can afford her rent can focus on bonding with her child. A parent who doesn’t have to choose between a utility bill and baby formula can provide a more stable home. The first year of a child’s life is foundational. Investing in that time means investing in the future of an entire community.
The issue at hand is about more than money. It’s about the kind of support structures society values. Black mothers have navigated a system designed to scrutinize their struggles while ignoring the systemic failures that cause them. Rx Kids is a pushback against that narrative. It says, unequivocally, that mothers deserve support without conditions.
The launch of this initiative in Pontiac is a testament to what’s possible when people prioritize families over bureaucracy. Every dollar funneled into this program is an investment in the well-being of children and in the economic stability of the city. It is a statement that Black mothers, and all mothers, deserve more than empty promises—they deserve tangible, immediate relief.
The expansion of Rx Kids isn’t just about Pontiac. It’s about proving that direct cash assistance works. It’s about showing that when you give families the resources they need, they thrive. It’s about rejecting the notion that financial support should come with shame, restrictions, or hoops to jump through.
For Pontiac families, May can’t come soon enough. Rx Kids is a step forward, but the work doesn’t stop here. Expanding the program to reach more cities, securing sustainable funding, and advocating for policies that center Black mothers must be priorities moving forward.
Mothers deserve more than resilience—they deserve real support. Rx Kids is a start. Now, the challenge is making sure this kind of investment in families isn’t just a two-year initiative but a permanent commitment.
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