Flint Program Providing Cash Aid to Moms Shows Promising Results for Infant Health
FLINT, MI – September 15, 2025 – A program providing direct cash assistance to pregnant women and new mothers in Flint is linked to importent reductions in preterm births, neonatal intensive care admissions, and smoking during pregnancy, according to new studies. The Rx Kids program, which has now distributed approximately $14.5 million to over 3,400 families across 11 Michigan communities, is demonstrating a potential return on investment through lowered healthcare costs.
Researchers found a 29% decrease - or 68 fewer – neonatal intensive care admissions during the study period associated with Rx Kids. The program also correlated with a reduction in smoking during the third trimester, a known risk factor for preterm birth and low birthweight. Researchers attribute this, in part, to “reduced financial stress” stemming from the cash aid and increased engagement with prenatal care providers.
“From a healthcare perspective, preterm births and low birthweight births are expensive,” said researcher Dr. Agarwal. Preventing a preterm birth avoids roughly $93,000 in medical costs, possibly saving the city of Flint $2.6 million annually. Avoiding a low birthweight birth could cut costs by approximately $144,000 per case, translating to $6.2 million in annual savings for Flint, Agarwal estimated.
“This is an example of how an intervention is saving money today,” added hanna.
Rx Kids, launched in Flint in 2024, is now available to eligible participants in counties spanning from the Eastern Upper Peninsula to parts of metro Detroit.The program has attracted both public and private funding, and also bipartisan support from lawmakers.
The findings add to a growing body of research on the effectiveness of cash aid programs. Though, one recent study noted that differences in child development outcomes were not found between low-income mothers receiving $333 a month versus $20 a month, suggesting the size of the aid and external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic may play a role.
Eligible mothers can sign up for Rx Kids through the program’s website: https://rxkids.org/impact/dashboard/. More facts about the program’s impact can be found at https://www.openresearchlab.org/studies/unconditional-cash-study/study and https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w33844/w33844.pdf.
