Rx Kids, a Michigan-based cash aid program, is expanding to Cleveland, Ohio, to support low-income families. The program, which began in Flint over two years ago, provides no-strings-attached cash to mothers and babies before and after pregnancy.

Program Expansion

The Ohio version of Rx Kids will cover three ZIP codes in Cleveland and is expected to support approximately 400 mothers per year for two years. The program has garnered around $2 million in funding from the city of Cleveland, the William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation, and private donors, with a goal of raising $42 million for the 4,000 babies born in the city each year.

Qualifying families will receive $1,500 mid-pregnancy and $500 per month for the first six months of their baby’s life. Rx Kids is partnering with First Year Cleveland, an advocacy organization working to reduce infant mortality.

Since its inception in 2024, Rx Kids has grown to nearly 60 communities, aiming to alleviate financial burdens for families during a vulnerable time. Studies have shown a decline in newborn deaths in Flint during the first month of life after Rx Kids and a reduction in preterm births and low birth weight.

Rx Kids offers $1,500 in cash assistance mid-pregnancy and monthly $500 payments for six or 12 months after birth, depending on the location. The program is funded through a combination of state, local, private, and philanthropic dollars, having raised over $400 million to date.

Rx Kids is led by the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and administered by GiveDirectly, a nonprofit specializing in cash delivery programs to alleviate poverty. The University of Michigan serves as a research partner.

Original reporting: BridgeDetroit — read the source article.