Several Detroit mothers who will benefit from Rx Kids program sit on stage Monday at the Michigan State University Detroit Center during a news conference announcing the expansion of the cash assistance program.(Martin Slagter/Michigan Advance)

“Baby love” took on some added meaning in Motown with the announcement that enrollment in a state cash assistance program for mothers and babies is officially open to Detroit mothers, with plans to expand it to the entire Upper Peninsula starting next month.

The expansion of Michigan State University’s Rx Kids program was unveiled Monday during a press conference at the MSU Detroit Center, with Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield joined by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to make the announcement.

An estimated 8,000 babies born in Detroit every year will now be eligible for cash payments, making it the largest city in the nation to participate in the program that supports mothers and babies during the early stages of pregnancy.

Sheffield said it was an honor to work with Rx Kids to deliver on her “first priority” as mayor to invest in Detroit’s babies, so that they can have the best possible start.

“I have always believed that how we care for our children reflects who we are as a city and who we are as a community,” Sheffield said. “I’m extremely proud to bring a program that puts our families, our babies at the very center of how we govern and how we lead. Because we all know that when we lift up our families, we invest in the long-term health, stability and success of our city.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks Monday about the impact of Rx Kids at the Michigan State University Detroit Center. (Martin Slagter/Michigan Advance)

Launched in Flint in 2024, Rx Kids has expanded to 29 Michigan communities, including Kalamazoo, Dearborn, Pontiac, Saginaw, Inkster and Ypsilanti with direct cash support. To date, Rx Kids has prescribed $23.68 million in cash payments to Michigan mothers, with 5,734 families enrolled and 4,298 babies benefiting from the cash assistance.

Rx Kids will support Detroit moms and babies during the early stages of pregnancy by providing families with $1,500 prenatally and then $500 a month for six months to prevent financial burden and improve health. All expectant mothers must be at least 16 weeks pregnant at the time of enrollment or have an infant born on or after Jan. 1, 2026.

Detroit mother Rakiah Reives, who had a child born at the beginning of 2026, said she was elated to be eligible for the cash assistance program after reading about its impact in other communities.

Reives said she even became an advocate for Rx Kids before she had benefitted from the program, noting that its impact can’t be understated when considering all of the expenses that come with being a young mother.

“Now that I am an Rx Kids mother, I can say that the program is helping me cover all the things that I couldn’t cover on my own, just literally a couple of weeks ago,” Reives said.

Along with Rx Kids’ expansion into Detroit, Whitmer announced Monday that the program also is growing north of the Mackinac Bridge with eligibility expanding to all 15 Upper Peninsula counties in March.

Whitmer said the expansion of Rx Kids underscores Michigan’s continued commitment to scaling baby-first policies in both urban and rural communities.

“Whether they’re deep in Lions country or they live closer to Lambeau Field, they will get to benefit from this,” Whitmer said.

“In places where Rx Kids has been running, we’re already seeing better outcomes from more consistent checkups before and after birth, babies born at healthier weights and decreased NICU admissions. … It helps families when they need it most, no matter what. We have to keep working to bring Rx Kids to every Michigan mom who needs it.”

Rx Kids is led by Michigan State University and administered by GiveDirectly. As a public-private partnership, it is funded through both public investment and philanthropic leadership. After its launch, the state invested $250 million to expand the program to additional high-need communities over the next three years.

Rx Kids Director Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician and Associate Dean of Public Health at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, said the impact of the program can be felt by families who are facing financial stress, leading to housing instability, hunger and health complications with their young children.

“Rx Kids is not charity — it is medicine,” Hanna said. “This is what it looks like when we boldly improve health. It’s not a pill, it’s prevention. We give families a little bit of breathing room during pregnancy and infancy, when money is the tightest.”

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