Rx Kids: A Cash Prescription for Pregnant Moms & Babies

What if the prescription wasn't a pill, but cash? Rx Kids gives expecting and new mothers up to $7,500, no questions asked. Laura Keen from GiveDirectly explains why giving money to everyone — not just the poorest — actually works better, why nearly every eligible mom in Flint signed up, and what happened to preterm births, evictions, and depression when communities invested in families from day one. Plus, how a program centered on babies united both sides of the political aisle.

References for Our Discussion

◼️The US town that pays every pregnant woman $1,500: ‘We’re not OK with our babies being born into poverty’ 

◼️Direct Unconditional Cash Transfers Boost Well-Being for Mothers and Babies 

◼️Perinatal Cash Transfers and Birth Outcomes: A Population-Based, Quasi-Experimental Study of the Rx Kids Unconditional Cash Prescription During Pregnancy and Infancy 

◼️Hardship and Hope: The Relationship Between Unconditional Prenatal and Infant Cash Transfers, Economic Stability, and Maternal Mental Health and Well-Being

◼️To End Extreme Poverty, Give Cash — Not Advice | Rory Stewart | TED

◼️New research: Cash for pregnant moms in Flint led to healthier births and millions in healthcare savings 

Guest

◼️Laura Keen, U.S. Program Director, GiveDirectly

Host

◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Producer

◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

◼️Abhinya Gulasingam

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

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