By Tanya Terry
Rx Kids is expected to help prevent anything from homelessness and families with infants living in shelters, to childhood obesity because parents cannot afford healthy foods. The intervention will provide all expectant mothers in Flint with up to $7,500. This will consist of a one-time payment of $1,500 for each expectant mother during pregnancy, followed by $500 per month until the child turns 1. The intervention is set to launch early next year.
The Courier recently had the opportunity to talk to an expecting mother who will benefit from Rx Kids, as well as Mona Hanna-Attisha, pediatrician and professor with Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital.
Raquel Thueme, president of the Ruth Mott Foundation had previously said North Flint residents had told Ruth Mott to focus on youth and economic opportunity. She pointed out Rx Kids fits squarely within those two priority areas.
“Rx Kids is the fundamental, root cause, foundational treatment to address so many things,” added Hanna-Attisha. “It addresses health, hope, opportunity, economic stability, inequities, education, nutrition – and the list goes on. So much of what we do in medicine and so many of our systems are reactive. We take care of things, and we spend a lot of money on things because we don’t focus on prevention. Rx Kids is literally the prescription to prevent so many problems that our kids and our families face by addressing poverty before a baby is born and during that critical first year of life.”
Flint Resident Erica Horton is a single mother of a four-year-old named Jahari and a one-year-old child named Javier. She is expecting another child around June 6, 2024.
“I’m the sole provider for my children,” said Horton. “…It’s been no breaks so far. With that type of pressure, I feel that’s how you get breakdowns, and it’s a first way to open up to postpartum depression.”
Horton told the Courier at one time she owned her own business in which she sold custom T-shirts and other items, but COVID impacted the business negatively. She then met Javier’s father and he was very helpful.
“But our relationship dissolved, and when our relationship dissolved it came back to solely on me,” Horton explained. “I’m a mom, so I have to rock with the punches.”
At the time Horton talked to the Courier, she was looking forward to an interview to work in phlebotomy. She is also planning to start taking classes in December to work as a CNA. She was already offered a position as a pediatric CNA by her son’s pediatric nurse.
Horton told the Courier initially she did not think Rx Kids could be real. However, after being among 25 expecting mothers invited to attend a luncheon for Rx Kids towards the end of last month, she realized it was not a joke. Horton is one of many expecting mothers who will benefit from Rx Kids while she works to get back on her feet.
The idea for Rx Kids came from many places. Hanna-Attisha stated everything Michigan State University does is done hand and hand with community partners. Hanna-Attisha has her pediatric health initiative with a director of community engagement, a parent partner group and a group of kids that advises them called the Flint Youth Justice League.
“For years, we have been hearing about how hard it is for families to make their ends meet.”
The idea also came from data. Hanna-Attisha runs the Flint Registry, and a lot of the data that has come out of that also shares the hardships families in Flint face. Other data that inspired the creation of Rx Kids came from the census and poverty rates.
“This idea was driven from the lived experiences, partnerships and voices of the people of Flint. It was also driven by the data.”
The fundraising goal for Rx Kids is $55 million, which will allow the program to take place for five years and also includes money for operations and evaluation. The C.S. Mott Foundation committed a $15 million match grant. The Ruth Mott Foundation gave Rx Kids their largest grant ever for $1.2 million. The Michigan Health Endowment Fund, a statewide foundation, gave half a million dollars. The State of Michigan provided $16.5 million in the budget for Rx Kids. Most recently, the City of Flint committed $1 million from its ARPA funds. Along with other contributions, over $40 million has been raised.
Hanna-Attisha pointed out the $9 million per year that will be given to the expectant moms will likely be spent in the local economy.
The Rx Kids Launch Bash takes place at 7 p.m. February 14, at the Capitol Theatre.
For more information about Rx Kids, visit flintrxkids.com.
