Guaranteed Income and Welfare Policy

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced that more than 1,000 new and expectant mothers have already enrolled in the city’s Rx Kids cash-aid program, which began accepting applications on February 9 and has distributed about $1 million so far. The initiative, billed as the largest U.S. cash-support program focused on prenatal and infant care, provides eligible Detroit mothers with a $1,500 lump sum during pregnancy and $500 per month for at least six months after birth, with no work or spending requirements. Led by Michigan State University and administered by the nonprofit GiveDirectly, Rx Kids is part of a broader wave of local guaranteed-income style experiments that critics see as back-door welfare expansion and supporters argue reduces stress and improves child health. Sheffield, Detroit’s first female mayor, says every one of the roughly 8,000 babies expected to be born in the city in 2026 and beyond will qualify, making this her first major policy priority and positioning Detroit as the largest U.S. city to offer universal, no-strings cash to all newborns’ families.