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Lee Van Roth's Feature Article: Babies and pregnant moms eligible for cash assistance as Rx Kids program comes to Ypsi
Transcription:
Lee Van Roth: You're listening to 89.1 WEMU. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is On the Ground Ypsi. This month, Ypsilanti became the most recent community to launch Rx Kids, a groundbreaking cash prescription program that provides $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 a month throughout a baby's first six months of life with no strings attached. Originally launched in Flint in 2024, Rx Kids has already reached thousands of families across the state, improving maternal health, supporting housing stability, and giving parents more breathing room during one of the most financially stressful periods of life. With enrollment now officially open in Ypsi as of December 1st, this program is expected to reach hundreds of families each year. With me today to talk about the state's investment, the expansion into Ypsi, and this program's potential long-term impact is State Senator Jeff Irwin. Senator Irwin, it's so great to have you here!
Sen. Jeff Irwin: It's great to be on! Thanks for having me!
Lee Van Roth: So, Senator, I'd love to start just by asking what stood out to you about Ypsi as a good candidate for Rx Kids to expand into? Besides its documented success in other communities, why did it seem like this was a program that could really thrive here in Ypsi from the state perspective?
Sen. Jeff Irwin: Well, I think that this program can thrive in the City of Ypsilanti for the same reasons that it's thrived in other parts of the state and for the same reasons that the state is trying to expand this program statewide. We know that young families, that's a really tough time. When babies are coming and then right after babies are born, this is often when families and moms are under the most stress and are experiencing the most poverty. Yet, it's also the moment that is most critical for these infants for the whole rest of their whole lives. So, what we saw with the pilot programs up in Flint was that when you give a little bit more stability to these families that are struggling with poverty in this most crucial moment, you see amazing success. So, we're trying to expand this program statewide. Just about a month and a half ago, we allocated $270 million from the state budget to seed these programs statewide, and the City of Ypsilanti stepped up very, very quickly. I'm hoping that this is a harbinger of other communities around our county and around our state. But Ypsilanti stands out because Ypsilanti stood up. The mayor of Ypsilanti, Nicole Brown, and the City Council supported this, allocated dollars, and that's what brought in some of the private funders, and that's what brought in the state to get it going here in the city.
Lee Van Roth: And Rx Kids, this is a direct cash assistance kind of program. You know, these aren't vouchers or limited purpose aid for these parents--these struggling parents--and families. Why was that a model that was intriguing?
Sen. Jeff Irwin: It is a very intriguing model because people for a long time have been looking at poverty, and some folks keep asking the question, "Why don't we just give folks money?" That seems to be the solution to their problem. But I think, all along, there have been concerns about what will folks spend their money on and and will they spend their money on the right things and and that sort of thing. Well, early on in this program, one of the components was to study how did people spend the cash assistance they were given. And what they found out was that expectant mothers and young moms were spending money on exactly the things you talked about: things like diapers, things like household supplies, food, etc. Rent was a really, really big one. Rent is such a huge expense for families now, it's gotten completely out of control. And so, there are programs out there for food assistance and stuff like that. Folks can go to pantries, but there are things like rent, like diapers, like cleaning supplies, other things that are expensive, but folks have a really hard time getting assistance for. And so, by just giving folks cash assistance that they can spend however they need, that allows them to spend that money in the way that most directly meets the need that they have and that their baby has. And so, I think it's a smart plan. I think some folks were worried about how folks would spend the money, but so far, all of the studies have shown that folks spend this money on critical needs.
Lee Van Roth: Another interesting aspect to the program that I found interesting about the program was just how accessible that the program that Rx Kids has been designed to ensure that it reaches as many families and children as possible. Did that aspect sort of factor into, at least on the state's side, of the decision making of this is a program that we have seen work so well in Flint and other areas in part because of its accessibility. Did that factor into this ultimate decision to put in all of this funding from the state that you had mentioned as well?
Sen. Jeff Irwin: It certainly factored into my support for it. Programs that work like that, just often, they're easier to administer, so therefore they're less costly to administer and they enjoy more support and so, therefore, have more staying power. I like things that are efficient and effective, and I think that when you have a program like this, that's what you get.
Lee Van Roth: And I had a chance to speak with a local parent here in Ypsi as well to kind of talk about exactly what this kind of assistance and what this kind of support can really do for a family. I mean, even just an extra that extra $500 a month can really be a game changer for some folks. And, obviously since the program is just now open for enrollment here in Ypsi, it's going to take some time, I would wager, to figure out exactly how impactful this program has been. But is there a hope on your end or on the state end as to how folks will receive this program? Is it really just we hope people know about it and approach it if they need it, or are there larger changes that you are hoping to see in the community once these funds are available to families?
Sen. Jeff Irwin: I'm very hopeful for how this program could make a real difference for lots of families here in the City of Ypsilanti. And one of the things I have the privilege of doing up in Lansing is chairing the Housing and Human Services Committee. And in an effort to try to codify--pass a law--creating this Rx Kids program, and this was before we actually created the budget line for it, we had an opportunity to have a hearing in my committee. And we heard from some of the moms and some of the families and even a little bit from some of the babies that were participants in this program from up in Flint, and it was very moving just to hear them describe what a difference it made to their families, what a difference it made to their stability, to their outlook, to their esteem, to their whole ability to plan a successful future for themselves and their child. And that's exactly what I'm hoping to see for families here in the City of Ypsilanti. And it was really exciting to hear directly from the families affected up in Flint, and I'm even more excited to see folks in the City of Ypsilanti have hopefully the same experience.
Lee Van Roth: This is WEMUs On the Ground Ypsi. I'm talking with State Senator Jeff Irwin about the rollout of Rx Kids here in Ypsilanti. Senator, this program, as we mentioned, has grown from the pilot program in Flint to now in nearly 20 communities across the state in just two years. And this is a very quick-moving kind of process that we've seen and with really positive results right off the bat. And I'm wondering if this momentum that we've seen from the program thus far, if that is indicative of what this is going to look like a few years down the line.
Sen. Jeff Irwin: Well, certainly, when it comes to this program, the state has made a big investment, and we are hopeful. And I think we have good reason to be hopeful that that's going to leverage a lot of private support as well. When we put that out, we saw that happen here in the City of Ypsilanti. That's the first partnership we have here in Washtenaw County, and I'm hopeful that that will expand to many, many more communities across Washtenaw County very quickly. There's state money available, and in the City of Ypsilanti, we had the Song Foundation step up in a big way. We had the Ann Arbor Community Foundation step up in a big way, Old National Bank put in some funds as well, and they stepped up. And so, when those forces get together with the state, that's what allows us to unlock this opportunity for communities. And now that the state has put out such a large investment, I am genuinely hopeful that more of the communities in Washtenaw County will get in, and we can make this, hopefully, something that affects many, many, many more families and gives a real hand-up to a lot of young moms and their babies. And as I said at the top, this is that moment in the lives of young families that is so critical, and they're facing their greatest need and they have the minimum of resources. And so, helping people at that critical point is so important. And if we get it right in this case, I think it hopefully can lead to the expansion of other programs that give people a hand-up in ways that are efficient and effective.
Lee Van Roth: Is there anything that you want to say to parents and families who either are listening or have just found out about this program that you think that they should know within these first few months of the resource being available?
Sen. Jeff Irwin: Yeah. I would just say that if you are an expectant mother in the City of Ypsilanti or if you are a recent mother in the City of Ypsilanti, reach out, go online and apply for the program. If you are an expectant mother or a young person thinking of starting a family in another community in Washtenaw County, reach out to your local government officials, reach out to my office, ask how we can try to get this expanded. And I'm just hopeful that this resource can be out there for more and more families as quick as possible because we want to make it possible for people to grow successful, happy families here in Washtenaw County.
Lee Van Roth: Well, Senator Irwin, thank you so much for joining me here today and for sharing your insights on Rx Kids and what this expansion really means for our community! Especially with the holidays coming up, I'm sure there's going to be a lot of families that are looking for a couple ways to save.
Sen. Jeff Irwin: Well, thank you for the opportunity! With everything that's happening with food prices, with all the federal cuts to housing supports, it's great to have a a really positive change happening with respect to this Rx Kids program.
Lee Van Roth: For more on today's conversation and links to the full article, visit our website at WEMU.org. On the Ground Ypsi is brought to you in partnership with Concentrate Media. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU FM Ypsilanti. Celebrating 60 years of broadcasting at Eastern Michigan University!
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