Rx Kids linked to higher civic engagement, voter turnout

As the 2026 midterm elections are around the corner, MSU’s Rx Kids program is associated with bolstering voter turnout and engagement as well as improving public health.

According to new research supported by Rx Kids, a first-in-the-nation community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program, is strengthening civic engagement, especially among women of childbearing age.

Rx Kids launched in Flint in 2024 as a public-private partnership offering $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 per month for the first six to 12 months of a baby’s life to combat financial insecurity and improve health outcomes. The program has now expanded to over 15 communities across Michigan.

Research led by Corwin Smidt, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University, shows that after Rx Kids launched, young women in Flint, Michigan, voted more than other Flint groups (older women and men) with higher voter turnout than peers in similar communities.

“Economic stability doesn’t just help families make ends meet — it also empowers civic participation,” said Smidt, who is also the interim director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. “When families have the resources to cover essentials like childcare and transportation, and the mental space to engage, they’re more likely to vote. The early findings from Rx Kids show that this kind of support improves both financial security and psychological well-being. That’s a powerful signal that smart, targeted policy can help strengthen democracy from the ground up.”

Findings and implications

The findings suggest that directly addressing the economy — the most common election day issue among voters — with a mom and baby cash prescription program may serve as a powerful tool for rebuilding the social contract and reinvigorating civic participation.

The research brief adds to growing evidence that Rx Kids is a model for how targeted, economic support during early life can reshape outcomes for families and communities.

Key findings from the research brief include:

• Increased voter turnout: Flint women aged 18–34 represented the largest increase in voter turnout in 2024 — 8.7 percentage points higher than in 2020.

• Rx Kids participation influenced voting behavior: Mothers enrolled in Rx Kids were nearly 5 percentage points more likely to vote than their nonenrolled counterparts.

• Program reengaged nonvoters: Among young Flint women who didn’t vote in 2020, Rx Kids enrollees were 10 percentage points more likely to vote in 2024 than those not enrolled.

• Higher trust in government: Data from an additional survey shows Rx Kids–enrolled mothers report greater trust in government than mothers in Flint before the program and those in nearby communities.

“Rx Kids is proving that when we walk alongside families with trust and support, we don’t just improve health — we build hope, agency and civic power,” said Dr. Mona Hanna, director of Rx Kids and associate dean for public health at the MSU College of Human Medicine.

To date, the program has reached nearly 4,000 in 17 Michigan communities and inspired a $270 million MSU grant in the fiscal year 2026 state of Michigan budget.

To learn more, access the full research brief.