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CBS News
31-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
A Michigan program that gives new mothers cash could be a model for rest of U.S.
A procession of mothers wearing red sashes, pushing strollers and tending to toddlers, made their way Friday to a little festival in Flint, Michigan, where families received diapers and kids played. It was called a "baby parade." The sashes indicated the women were participants of a growing program in Michigan that helps pregnant women and new moms by giving them cash over the first year of their children's lives. Launched in 2024, the program comes at a time when many voters worry over high child care costs and President Donald Trump's administration floats policy to reverse the declining birth rate. Backed by a mix of state, local and philanthropic money, Rx Kids gives mothers of newborns up to $7,500, with no income requirements and no rules for how the money is spent. Supporters believe the program could be a model for mitigating the high cost of having children in the U.S. "There's all kinds of reasons, no matter what your political affiliation or ideology is, to support this," said state Sen. John Damoose, a Republican and ardent supporter of the program. To qualify, women need to prove they live in a participating location and that they are pregnant, but don't have to share details about their income. It's designed to be simple. Pregnant women receive $1,500 before delivery and $500 every month for the first six to 12 months of their babies' lives, depending on the program location. Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician, associate dean for public health at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and the program's founding director, said that window is a time of great economic vulnerability for new parents — and a critical developmental period for babies. Most participants need diapers, formula, breastfeeding supplies and baby clothes, but every family's needs are different. The monthly payment can also help buy food and cover rent, utilities and transportation. For some moms, the extra cash allows them to afford child care and return to work. For others, it allows them to stay home longer. The program so far is available in Flint, Pontiac, Kalamazoo and five counties in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. By fall, it will expand to a rural central Michigan county and several cities near Detroit. Hanna said the main piece of feedback she hears is that the program should be bigger. She's heard from lawmakers and others hoping to start similar programs in other states. Hanna said the program's data shows nearly all pregnant women in Flint have signed up since it became available. The locations were designed to target low-income families, though there is no income requirement. Luke Shaefer, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan and a co-founder of Rx Kids, said they wanted to eliminate any stigma or barriers that discourage people from signing up. The founders also want mothers to feel celebrated, hence the parade on Friday. "For so long, moms have been vilified and not supported," Hanna said. Friends told Angela Sintery, 44, about Rx Kids when she found out she was pregnant with her second child. She's a preschool teacher who spread the word to other parents. Sintery had her first daughter 19 years before her second and had to buy all new baby supplies. She said the cash provided by Rx Kids would have been helpful when she had her first child at age 24, before she went to college. "So this time around, I didn't have to stress about anything. I just had to worry about my baby," she said. Celeste Lord-Timlin, a Flint resident and program participant, attended the baby parade with her husband and 13-month-old daughter by her side. She said the deposits helped her pay for graduate school while she was pregnant. "It allowed us to really enjoy being new parents," she said. The program relies heavily on philanthropic donations, but Hanna's long-term goal is for the government to be the main provider. "I see philanthropy as the doula of this program; they are helping birth it," she said. "They are helping us prove that this is possible." Democrats in Michigan's state Senate introduced legislation in February that would make the program available to any pregnant woman in the state and it has bipartisan support. But with a divided Legislature only able to pass six bills total this year, it's unlikely the program will yet expand statewide soon. Even Damoose, among the program's top backers, said he doesn't think Michigan can afford statewide expansion yet. But the lawmaker who represents parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan does want to keep growing it. For fellow Republicans who oppose abortion as he does, the approach is a "no-brainer" way to help pregnant women, Damoose said. "We've been accused for years and years, and not without cause, of being pro-birth, but not pro-life," he said. "And this is a way for us to put our money where our mouth is." A new movement of pro-natalist political figures, including Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and other members of Trump's periphery, have harped on the country's declining birth rate. But a recent Associated Press-NORC poll found that most Americans want the government to focus on the high costs of child care, not just the number of babies being born here. Under Trump's tax and spending bill that Congress passed in July, the child tax credit is boosted from $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. But millions of families at lower income levels will not get the full credit. The bill will also create a new children's savings program, called Trump Accounts, with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury. That's not available until children grow up and is more focused on building wealth rather than immediate relief, Hanna said. "We don't have that social infrastructure to invest in our families," Hanna said. "No wonder people aren't having children and our birth rates are going down." The Trump administration has also toyed with the idea of giving families one-time $5,000 "baby bonuses," a policy similar to Rx Kids. Critics have rightly pointed out that it doesn't come close to covering the cost of child care or other expenses. Defenders of a cash-in-hand approach, though, say any amount can help in those critical early months. "I think it's part of a new narrative or the rekindling of an old narrative where we start to celebrate children and families," said Damoose.
Associated Press
31-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
How a Michigan program that gives new mothers cash could be a model for rest of US
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A procession of mothers wearing red sashes, pushing strollers and tending to toddlers made their way Friday to a little festival in Flint, Michigan, where families received diapers and kids played. It was called a 'baby parade.' The sashes indicated the women were participants of a growing program in Michigan that helps pregnant women and new moms by giving them cash over the first year of their children's lives. Launched in 2024, the program comes at a time when many voters worry over high child care costs and President Donald Trump's administration floats policy to reverse the declining birth rate. Backed by a mix of state, local and philanthropic money, Rx Kids gives mothers of newborns up to $7,500, with no income requirements and no rules for how the money is spent. Supporters believe the program could be a model for mitigating the high cost of having children in the U.S. 'There's all kinds of reasons, no matter what your political affiliation or ideology is, to support this,' said state Sen. John Damoose, a Republican and ardent supporter of the program. How the program works To qualify, women need to prove they live in a participating location and that they are pregnant, but don't have to share details about their income. It's designed to be simple. Pregnant women receive $1,500 before delivery and $500 every month for the first six to 12 months of their babies' lives, depending on the program location. Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician and the program's founding director, said that window is a time of great economic vulnerability for new parents — and a critical developmental period for babies. Most participants need diapers, formula, breast feeding supplies and baby clothes but every family's needs are different. The monthly payment can also help buy food and cover rent, utilities and transportation. For some moms, the extra cash allows them to afford child care and return to work. For others, it allows them to stay home longer. The program so far is available in Flint, Pontiac, Kalamazoo and five counties in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. By fall, it will expand to a rural central Michigan county and several cities near Detroit. Hanna said the main piece of feedback she hears is that the program should be bigger. She's heard from lawmakers and others hoping to start similar programs in other states. What's the impact Hanna said the program's data shows nearly all pregnant women in Flint have signed up since it became available. The locations were designed to target low-income families, though there is no income requirement. Luke Shaefer, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan and a co-founder of Rx Kids, said they wanted to eliminate any stigma or barriers that discourage people from signing up. The founders also want mothers to feel celebrated, hence the parade Friday. 'For so long moms have been vilified and not supported,' Hanna said. Friends told Angela Sintery, 44, about Rx Kids when she found out she was pregnant with her second child. She's a preschool teacher who spread the word to other parents. Sintery had her first daughter 19 years before her second and had to buy all new baby supplies. She said the cash provided by Rx Kids would have been helpful when she had her first child at age 24, before she went to college. 'So this time around, I didn't have to stress about anything. I just had to worry about my baby,' she said. Celeste Lord-Timlin, a Flint resident and program participant, attended the baby parade with her husband and 13-month-old daughter by her side. She said the deposits helped her pay for graduate school while she was pregnant. 'It allowed us to really enjoy being new parents,' she said. Changing the conversation The program relies heavily on philanthropic donations but Hanna's long-term goal is for the government to be the main provider. 'I see philanthropy as the doula of this program, they are helping birth it,' she said. 'They are helping us prove that this is possible.' Democrats in Michigan's state Senate introduced legislation in February that would make the program available to any pregnant woman in the state and it has bipartisan support. But with a divided Legislature only able to pass six bills total this year, it's unlikely the program will yet expand statewide soon. Even Damoose, among the program's top backers, said he doesn't think Michigan can afford statewide expansion yet. But the lawmaker who represents parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan does want to keep growing it. For fellow Republicans who oppose abortion as he does, the approach is a 'no brainer' way to help pregnant women, Damoose said. 'We've been accused for years and years, and not without cause, of being pro-birth, but not pro-life,' he said. 'And this is a way for us to put our money where our mouth is.' The cost of kids A new movement of pro-natalist political figures, including Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and other members of Trump's periphery, have harped on the country's declining birth rate. But a recent Associated Press-NORC poll found that most Americans want the government to focus on the high costs of child care — not just the number of babies being born here. Under Trump's tax and spending bill that Congress passed in July, the child tax credit is boosted from $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. But millions of families at lower income levels will not get the full credit. The bill will also create a new children's saving program, called Trump Accounts, with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury. That's not available until children grow up and is more focused on building wealth rather than immediate relief, Hanna said. 'We don't have that social infrastructure to invest in our families,' Hanna said. 'No wonder people aren't having children and our birth rates are going down.' The Trump administration has also toyed with the idea of giving families one-time $5,000 'baby bonuses,' a policy similar to Rx Kids. Critics have rightly pointed out that doesn't come close to covering the cost of child care or other expenses. Defenders of a cash-in-hand approach, though, say any amount can help in those critical early months. 'I think it's part of a new narrative or the rekindling of an old narrative where we start to celebrate children and families,' said Damoose. ___ Associated Press writer Mike Householder contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pediatrician who helped expose Flint's water crisis now fighting poverty
Flint, Michigan — At a parade last year in Flint, Michigan, every family and their babies celebrated a gift from the same woman — pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna. "How can you say no to these babies? Like how can you say no?" Hanna told CBS News. Rx kids, a program she created to give cash to pregnant moms, is an American first. "I wanted something that literally would be able to prescribe away the pathogen of poverty," Hanna said. "I wanted something that I could pull out of my doctor's bag, pull out of my white coat that literally would be able to prescribe away the pathogen of poverty. Poverty makes kids sick. So I wanted to prevent it." She's raised more than $100 million, 80% of which is from private donors. Now, every expectant mother in Flint, regardless of income, can get $1,500 during her pregnancy. Once the baby is born, it's $500 a month for up to a year — no strings attached. "So what we are hearing from our families is that this amount of money is a lifesaver, a game changer for our families," Hanna said. "They can afford to pay their rent. They can buy diapers for their baby. They can buy formula. They don't have to choose between being homeless or having a roof over their heads." When asked how to know if the money is being spent on the right things, Hanna said, "This is based on global evidence. Our multiple surveys, we know that they're spending this money No. 1 on baby supplies, and then on food, rent utilities, transportation, childcare." "We are telling families, 'We see you, we hear you, and we trust you,'" she added. Hanna knows child poverty runs in Flint's bloodstream. In 2015, she brought national attention to the city's corroding water pipes and linked them to children with lead poisoning. Now she's tackling poverty. In four areas of Michigan, any expectant mother can apply. But in Flint, the program reports 60% of enrolled families have an annual household income of less than $10,000. When Angela Sintery was pregnant with her daughter Jolena, she remembers filling out a five-minute questionnaire. "Two weeks later, I had money in my bank account," Sintery said, adding that the money allowed her not to stress out and focus on her baby instead. Michigan State Sen. John Damoose is a conservative Republican from a red district. He's no fan of handouts, but pushed hard to get Rx Kids in his district. "It's extremely efficient. There's no government bureaucracy whatsoever. This is actually a great program that meets people right where they need it," Damoose said. Since early last year, Rx Kids has spread roughly $10 million to more than 2,200 families. "This is a plug-and-play program. It is already built with dollars at the table. We are ready to go live in communities across the nation," Hanna said. SpaceX loses contact with its Starship, spins out of control These 3 record breakers have one thing in common Reporter's Notebook: John Dickerson reflects on his spelling woes
CBS News
30-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
A pediatrician helped expose Flint's water crisis. Now she's fighting poverty one baby at a time.
Flint, Michigan — At a parade last year in Flint, Michigan, every family and their babies celebrated a gift from the same woman — pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna. "How can you say no to these babies? Like how can you say no?" Hanna told CBS News. Rx kids, a program she created to give cash to pregnant moms, is an American first. "I wanted something that literally would be able to prescribe away the pathogen of poverty," Hanna said. "I wanted something that I could pull out of my doctor's bag, pull out of my white coat that literally would be able to prescribe away the pathogen of poverty. Poverty makes kids sick. So I wanted to prevent it." She's raised more than $100 million, 80% of which is from private donors. Now, every expectant mother in Flint, regardless of income, can get $1,500 during her pregnancy. Once the baby is born, it's $500 a month for up to a year — no strings attached. "So what we are hearing from our families is that this amount of money is a lifesaver, a game changer for our families," Hanna said. "They can afford to pay their rent. They can buy diapers for their baby. They can buy formula. They don't have to choose between being homeless or having a roof over their heads." When asked how to know if the money is being spent on the right things, Hanna said, "This is based on global evidence. Our multiple surveys, we know that they're spending this money No. 1 on baby supplies, and then on food, rent utilities, transportation, childcare." "We are telling families, 'We see you, we hear you, and we trust you,'" she added. Hanna knows child poverty runs in Flint's bloodstream. In 2015, she brought national attention to the city's corroding water pipes and linked them to children with lead poisoning. Now she's tackling poverty. In four areas of Michigan, any expectant mother can apply. But in Flint, the program reports 60% of enrolled families have an annual household income of less than $10,000. When Angela Sintery was pregnant with her daughter Jolena, she remembers filling out a five-minute questionnaire. "Two weeks later, I had money in my bank account," Sintery said, adding that the money allowed her not to stress out and focus on her baby instead. Michigan State Sen. John Damoose is a conservative Republican from a red district. He's no fan of handouts, but pushed hard to get Rx Kids in his district. "It's extremely efficient. There's no government bureaucracy whatsoever. This is actually a great program that meets people right where they need it," Damoose said. Since early last year, Rx Kids has spread roughly $10 million to more than 2,200 families. "This is a plug-and-play program. It is already built with dollars at the table. We are ready to go live in communities across the nation," Hanna said.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Michigan House hears testimony on baby cash payment program amid Trump ‘baby bonuses' proposal
Rx Kids Director Dr. Mona Hanna testifies before the Michigan state House Families and Veterans Committee on May 20, 2025. | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols When moms get cash payments to help navigate pregnancy and in the first months after giving birth, they consistently use the funds to attend more medical appointments with their child and make choices that lead to better outcomes for them and their baby, Rx Kids Director Dr. Mona Hanna told Michigan lawmakers Tuesday. Hanna told the Michigan state House Families and Veterans Committee that has been the result for moms who've accessed cash payments through Rx Kids, which began as a program to address infant poverty in Flint, but has expanded to Kalamazoo and the Upper Peninsula, with other locations in Michigan to be served soon. Hanna, a Flint-area physician who sounded alarm bells about the long-term health impacts of the Flint Water Crisis in 2014, said the number one thing moms buy with the $500 monthly cash payments the program gives moms after they give birth is diapers. And in Flint, Hanna said the program has distributed $10 million to more than 2,000 families and has seen reductions in smoking in mothers, increased birth weights and less reports of abuse or neglect. The program is funded with money from the state government as well as local governments and private groups and also affords participants a one-time $1,500 cash payment during pregnancy. 'When we think about child welfare, it is one of the biggest cost items in our state budget and in our federal budget,' Hanna said. 'The peak age of child welfare involvement is zero to one, that first year of life, more than double any other age of life and that's largely because of poverty.' And as Michigan officials on the local and statewide level seek solutions to grow the state's population as it's predicted to decline over the next few years, the Trump administration is looking to address declining birth rates. A recent proposal by the Trump administration of a $5,000 'baby bonus' for moms after they give birth has made headlines around the country and is being matched by public discourse surrounding the high costs associated with pregnancy, giving birth and parenthood. A group of Michigan Senate Democrats stood alongside Hanna at the state Capitol in march as they unveiled their plan to decrease the costs of parenthood in Michigan, which included interest in making Rx Kids a statewide program. When asked if the Republican-led House would consider supporting Senate Democrats plan or propose their own population growth plan during an April 24 news conference, Michigan Speaker of the House Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) didn't respond directly to questioning about the potential of 'baby bonuses' from the Michigan Advance, but said the chamber is reviewing its options and is working on policies to make life more affordable for Michiganders across the board. Discussions about the state budget are being had right now, but chair of the House Families and Veterans Committee, Kathy Schmaltz (R-Jackson), didn't confirm with the Advance after the Tuesday committee meeting if a statewide expansion of baby cash payments is on the table. 'I think it's important that we bring in organizations that are here to help families. It's not that we agree with everything that goes on. It's just that we need to hear from different agencies who are out there and what they're doing for families and babies and what's available,' Schmaltz said. 'We will take all the information and we'll sift through it and find out what works, what doesn't work and what should be funded and what shouldn't be funded.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
