Pregnant people, parents with newborns to receive $7,500 from Rx Kids

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Pregnant people in Kalamazoo are eligible to receive $7,500 from a community childcare support program.

To help families with babies, the Rx Kids program, in collaboration with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF), is expected to provide a “no-strings attached” payment of $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 each month for the first year of the baby’s life to eligible expectant or new parents, according to Rx Kids officials.

Infants born on or after Feb. 1, 2025, and expectant parents who live in the city of Kalamazoo, are eligible to apply starting Wednesday at 9 a.m., according to the Rx Kids website.

Applicants will need to provide documents that verify eligibility, including:

• Their identity
• Their residency in the city of Kalamazoo
• Their pregnancy/guardianship status, verification of a projected due date or birth date prior to Feb. 1

Applications for Kalamazoo residents are expected to be available online.

“Rx Kids boldly reimagines how we support our families and babies,” Dr. Mona Hanna, pediatrician, director of Rx Kids and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine associate dean of public health, said. “Kalamazoo has a long history of prioritizing and understanding that healthy children are vital to a healthy community. Launching this program will have an immediate and tangible positive impact on the entire Kalamazoo community.”

Funding for the first year will come from a $5 million investment by Stryker Johnston Foundation, $1.4 million from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TNAF), a $500,000 pledge by KZCF and investments by United Way of South Central Michigan and Bronson Health Foundation, according to the program website.

The Rx Kids program will be administered by GiveDirectly, a nonprofit that helps families living in extreme poverty.

The initiative began in Flint last year, organizers said, and is now expanding to other Michigan communities.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum is hosting a kickoff event for the program on Feb. 23 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., and will have activities, giveaways and a free “Sesame Street” planetarium show, event officials said.

Eligible families will be able to sign up for the program on-site at the event.