Infant Poverty and Mortality

Guest Opinion

This Michigan Legislature is on track to be the least productive legislative body in our state since 1842—and yes, that’s before the Civil War.

Yet one of the things the legislature was able to do in 2025 is try to strip away funding from an essential program for expecting mothers and babies by cutting the Rx Kids program. To add insult to injury, House Republicans fought in court to try to keep the program from serving moms and kids earlier this year.

Rx Kids was originally launched in Flint and has grown into “the nation’s first-ever community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program,” per their website. Between January 2024 and April 2026, they have served nearly 9,500 families and distributed $33.24 million to parents of newborns.

When I studied public health, I learned that one of the most important markers for a healthy community and health system is the health of mothers and their babies. Michigan currently ranks 32nd in the nation for infant mortality, and has had a history of significant racial differences—Black women have been more than twice as likely to die in childbirth in Michigan than white women during the past decade.

Beyond infant mortality, the income of a household changes dramatically around the birth of a child. Ask any new parent and they’ll tell you that expenses spike just before birth and remain high throughout the first year.

At the same time, most households in Michigan lose a portion of their income during that same period unless their employer has a generous leave package. With high and rising costs of living for all families in the United States, this could put a family into a terrible position during pregnancy and infancy.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Rx Kids acts as an important tool for families across the state at a time when it seems like the cost of everything, from diapers to gas to get to and from doctors appointments, is increasing.

The Rx Kids program provides $1,500 to mothers during pregnancy and $500 a month for families for up to 12 months after birth. The program has had a tremendous impact on families receiving services and will help to make it more affordable to start a family in Michigan.

In addition to the direct cash support, Rx Kids is estimated to have created 433 jobs and produced more than $46.5 million in economic impact since its implementation. After getting its start in Flint, the program has since expanded to other areas due to its success. This now includes the entire Upper Peninsula and the following northern Michigan counties: Clare, Gladwin, Lake, Montmorency, and Roscommon.

To be sure, the program has had its critics. Republicans on the Michigan House Appropriations Committee and Speaker Matt Hall decided in December 2025 to take back $645 million in funding for programs across the state that our lawmakers already approved. A part of that clawback included $18 million for Rx Kids, amounting to enough funds to enroll 6,000 families across the state.

Thanks to efforts by Attorney General Dana Nessel and a favorable court ruling, those funds have been allocated to the program. This came only after Matt Hall accused the program directors of “bitching” about the clawback.

In February, Hall went on to call the program a “scam” and say that Republicans would not provide additional funding for the program. He tied the program to conspiracy theories about nonprofit organizations acting in bad faith and even alleged voter fraud.

In truth, there is decades of evidence that unconditional cash transfer programs (UCTs) like this one are incredibly effective in a variety of settings. These types of programs have positive impacts on social and economic outcomes across our state. A study published on VoxDev—a policy discussion platform—found that across the 72 programs they analyzed, UCTs “lead to a rise in income and consumption” and that they “encourage, rather than discourage, individuals to seek work.”

We need our lawmakers to confidently protect and expand on programs that are effective, improve the lives of Michiganders, and work to combat childhood and infant poverty. It’s time for Speaker Hall and House Republicans to follow the evidence and support this pivotal program so moms and babies can make it in Michigan without falling into poverty.

Justin Mendoza (he/him) is the executive director of Progress Michigan, a nonprofit communications advocacy and government watchdog organization.

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