Overview
- A population study in JAMA Pediatrics in May 2026 reports that Flint’s Rx Kids cash prescription program was associated with fewer maltreatment investigations of infants and will be presented at the 2026 Society of General Internal Medicine meeting.
- After the program launched in January 2024, the share of Flint infants investigated in their first six months fell from 21.7% to 15.5%.
- The decline equals a seven‑percentage‑point drop, or a 32% relative reduction, compared with 21 similar cities where allegations rose.
- Researchers estimate the program prevented about 57 infant investigations in its first year.
- Rx Kids pays $1,500 in mid‑pregnancy and $500 a month in infancy, which prior research links to less food and housing hardship, fewer postpartum evictions, and better birth outcomes.