State Social Policy and Benefits

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced that Michigan State University’s Rx Kids program, which provides direct cash payments to expectant mothers and infants, will launch in Detroit within her first 100 days in office, backed by philanthropic, city and state funding. The initiative will give pregnant Detroit residents a one-time $1,500 payment and $500 a month for the child’s first six months, with the city pledging $500,000 annually for three years and Michigan’s FY2026 budget allocating $250 million to expand the two‑year‑old program statewide as a tool against deep child poverty.