RxKids

RxKids is a universal maternal and infant “cash prescription” program that provides all pregnant people in a city with $1,500 during pregnancy, followed by $500 per month throughout their baby’s first year—no strings attached. Grounded in public health research and designed to eliminate stigma, RxKids aims to reduce the toxic stress of poverty during a critical window for child development. The program ensures families have the financial stability needed to support healthy pregnancies and early bonding, while promoting improved long-term health, economic, and developmental outcomes.

The program is designed not only as a health intervention, but as a statement of dignity, equity, and trust in families.

GreenLight Fund brought RxKids to Detroit to address deep-rooted racial and economic disparities in maternal and infant health. Detroit continues to face some of the highest infant mortality and child poverty rates in the nation, particularly among Black families. Traditional safety net systems often impose barriers and stigma—RxKids takes a different approach by offering universal access, helping to foster trust in systems that have historically failed families.

Applications for RxKids opened in Detroit in February 2026. Thanks to strong support from both public and private sectors, including municipal and state-level governments, as well as local philanthropic partners, the program is positioned to serve the entire city. During its first full year, GreenLight Fund’s catalytic investment will directly support 88 families, with the program scaling to reach nearly 100 families annually by FY29. GreenLight Fund Detroit continues to collaborate with local partners to ensure RxKids is integrated into existing systems, rigorously evaluated, and sustained for long-term impact. Core goals include increasing access to prenatal care, improving infant health outcomes, reducing financial hardship, and affirming the dignity of every parent in Detroit.

RxKids’ bold, community-wide model, the first of its kind in the United States, is backed by national research and being closely studied as a potential blueprint for wider policy change. By investing in families from the very beginning, RxKids seeks to transform not just individual outcomes—but the future trajectory of whole communities.