Multiple districts — Families living on the southeast side of Grand Rapids will soon have the opportunity to participate in the nation’s first community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program.
Beginning July 1, the Rx Kids program will expand into the 49507 zip code area of Kent County, providing direct cash support to eligible pregnant women and families with newborns. The area, which includes both the Grand Rapids and Godwin Heights school districts, is the first in Kent County to receive the program.
“Rx Kids recognizes a simple truth: economic security is a healthy invention,” said Jennifer Headley-Nordman, president of First Steps Kent, which, as the community champion for the program, will support outreach and engagement. “When families have the resources they need, they are better able to access prenatal care, attend medical appointments, afford essentials like diapers and formula, keep up with rent and utilities, and focus on bonding and caring for a new baby.”
Led by Michigan State University and distributed by GiveDirectly, Rx Kids is a place-based program designed to improve maternal and infant health by addressing the economic hardship families face during pregnancy and infancy.
Eligible families in 49507 will receive $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 per month for the first six months of a child’s life. Eligible participants must be at least 16 weeks pregnant at enrollment, and newborns must be born on or after July 1.
For the approximately 640 annual births in 49507, Rx Kids will provide direct economic support to mothers, helping families cover essentials like diapers, formula, rent and transportation to prenatal care. By reducing financial stress during pregnancy and infancy, the program supports healthier pregnancies and early childhood outcomes, according to Dr. Mona Hanna, the founder of Rx Kids.
The expansion was announced in June as part of a broader effort to improve maternal and infant health outcomes across Michigan. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer previously announced that Rx Kids would be rolled out to 20 additional communities this summer, increasing the program’s reach to more than 60 communities statewide.
State officials say the expansion is expected to help the program support more than 23,000 births annually.
To learn more or enroll, visit RxKids.org.
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