Starting Dec. 1, 2025, Rx Kids will partner with the City of Ypsilanti to provide unconditional, direct cash assistance to parents and families in the city. Families will receive $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 per month during the first six months of the infant's life.
Rx Kids is a program that offers support in 11 communities across the state of Michigan. Rx Kids was initially founded in Flint, Michigan, and by the end of the year, 20 different communities will receive these benefits.
On Nov. 3, 2025, a press conference was held in Ypsilanti City Hall to announce this new program. All the chairs in the room were filled and people lined up along the walls to hear the news.
Dr. Mona Hanna is the director of Rx Kids and the associate dean for public health at Michigan State University. Her research played a role in exposing the Flint water crisis.
“An effort like this does not happen without a village of people coming together to say we can do better for moms and babies,” Hanna said, opening the conference.
She then explained the partnership between the City of Ypsilanti and Michigan State University, as well as the University of Michigan, with funding from a compilation of legislature, philanthropy and private donors.
“The poorest time ever in a family's life is when they’re having a baby,” Hanna said. “Across the state, we are already seeing the tremendous impact of Rx Kids; we're seeing more moms going to prenatal care, healthier babies, more food security, increased mental health, less premature births, deceased post-partum depression … This success is exactly why we’re so excited to bring the program to the City of Ypsilanti and many more communities across the state. Every baby deserves a strong start, and every family deserves the support to make that possible.”
Mayor Nicole Brown started her remarks by expressing her joy for the program.
"I am so excited this is finally happening," Brown said. "In my mind, there was no possibility of not making this happen for my community. Thank you to the families of Ypsilanti; you are why we’re doing this."
She explained that this program helps the whole community, not just those in need.
"Families, neighbors, people here today, you will all see how urgently this work is needed and the benefits of it," Brown said. "Together we are rewriting the story of infant health in Ypsilanti and Michigan."
Since launching in 2024, Rx Kids has supported nearly 4,000 families with a total of $16 million. This program was recently expanded by the state of Michigan with $270 million to use over the next several years.
“[There are] mountains and mountains of research to tell us that these early years are so critical to families and babies," said State Senator Jeff Irwin (D). "It’s a tremendous honor for me to be able to contribute to this project. My Senate Democratic colleagues and I were proud to secure funds in past budget cycles for its expansion … The state has managed to allocate $270 million to this program, and I want to thank the people of Michigan for standing behind it.”
Irwin said he was able to see firsthand how impactful this money can be to families.
“We heard from participants and saw some of these beautiful children; we got to see in person the fruits of the research that we knew was true," Irwin said.
Michigan House Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr. (D) also attended the event and said he believes the whole community is going to benefit from this program.
"This isn't just policy; it’s a commitment to equity, dignity and opportunity for every child and every parent in our community," Wilson said. "I am so thankful that we got this through and were able to vote on it.”
Tavanna Page, an Ypsilanti mom of two with another on the way, had a chance to give her perspective on the program.
“Being a parent also comes with a lot of financial pressures; balancing business and babies is an overtime adventure," Page said. "For families like mine, this is a game changer. That money can mean happier and healthier babies, more breathing room, and a lot less stress, which means I have more time to spend with my kids."
The conference ended with a check presentation to Rx Kids Ypsilanti from Old National Bank Foundation for $15,000.
Citizens and speakers at the conference then mingled and chatted about their own stories and gratitude for the program.
To learn more, interested pregnant people and new parents can visit https://rxkids.org/.
