HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2025.03.18 - 41940
AGENDA ITEM: Appropriation to Support the Rx Kids Program
DEPARTMENT: Executive's Office
MEETING: Board of Commissioners
DATE: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 9:30 AM - Click to View Agenda
ITEM SUMMARY SHEET
COMMITTEE REPORT TO BOARD
Resolution #2025-5074
Motion to authorize a one-time appropriation of $500,000 to support the Oakland County Rx Kids
Program and following review by the purchasing division and Corporation Counsel, authorize the
Director of Health and Human Services to serve as the County’s contract administrator to contract
with Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency; further, amend the FY 2025 budget as detailed in
the attached Schedule A.
ITEM CATEGORY SPONSORED BY
Budget Amendment Gwen Markham
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The Rx Kids program, a prenatal and infant cash prescription program that supports pregnant
mothers and babies during a baby’s first year of life and which originated in Flint, has secured State
TANF funding to enable the program to expand to additional municipalities in Michigan.
The Rx Kids program operates with geographically targeted universalism, meaning all pregnant
mothers and their babies are eligible for this program if they are residents of a municipality where
the program is offered. The Rx Kids program operates a partnership between local implementors
and the Rx Kids program, which is operated under the Co-Direction of Dr. Mona Hanna, Director of
the Michigan State University-Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative and Dr.
Luke Shaefer, Director of the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions Initiative. Rx Kids leaders at
Michigan State University provide program oversight, marketing, and technical assistance, Rx Kids
leaders at the University of Michigan provide evaluation and research support, and the program
contracts with Give Directly, a leader in direct payment programs that combat poverty, to make
direct payments to program participants.
The RX Kids program relies on both public and private funding, municipalities and interested
stakeholders wishing to replicate the program must have a local partner willing to serve as the local
implementor and home for the program and must raise funds to cover the costs of two years of the
program not covered by TANF funds.
Oakland Livingston Human Services has agreed to serve as the local program implementor and
host of the Rx Kids Program. Stakeholders working to bring the program to Oakland County have
secured a combination of non-TANF public and private funding in the amount of $5.1M to date
which will support the launch the program to be implemented for over two years in Pontiac and
cover payments at least through the first six months of an infant’s life for participating residents. Rx
Kids stakeholders are currently fundraising to launch the program in Hazel Park and Royal Oak
Township as well as in Pontiac.
The total project to provide cash prescriptions for the first six months of an infant’s life for two
program years is estimated to cost $4,104,900 in Pontiac, $188,200 in Royal Oak Township, and
$888,100 in Hazel Park. An investment of $500,000 in County funding would cover the costs
needed to launch the program in Royal Oak Township for two years and create meaningful
momentum to close the remaining gap to fund the program in Hazel Park. If funding goals are not
met in Hazel Park, County funding may be used to continue the program in other Oakland County
municipalities and if funding goals exceed the threshold to launch the program at the six-month
level, the program may be extended to include cash prescriptions for a full year.
BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRED: Yes
Committee members can contact Barbara Winter, Policy and Fiscal Analysis Supervisor at
248.821.3065 or winterb@oakgov.com or the department contact persons listed for additional
information.
CONTACT
Sara Gold
ITEM REVIEW TRACKING
Aaron Snover, Board of Commissioners Created/Initiated - 3/20/2025
AGENDA DEADLINE: 03/18/2025 9:30 AM
ATTACHMENTS
1. Strategic Initiatives - Rx Kids Program (Schedule A)
COMMITTEE TRACKING
2025-03-12 Finance - Recommend to Board
2025-03-18 Full Board - Adopt
Motioned by: Commissioner Robert Hoffman
Seconded by: Commissioner Ann Erickson Gault
Yes: Marcia Gershenson, Yolanda Smith Charles, Charles Cavell, Ann Erickson Gault, Linnie
Taylor, Robert Smiley, David Woodward, Michael Spisz, Penny Luebs, Kristen Nelson, Christine
Long, Robert Hoffman, Philip Weipert, Gwen Markham, Angela Powell (15)
No: None (0)
Abstain: None (0)
Absent: Michael Gingell, Karen Joliat, William Miller III, Brendan Johnson (4)
Passed
Oakland County, Michigan
Strategic Initiatives -Rx Kids Program
Schedule "A" DETAIL
R/E Fund Name Division Name
Fund #
(FND)
Cost Center
(CCN) #
Account #
(RC/SC)
Program #
(PRG)Grant ID (GRN) #
Project ID #
(PROJ)
Region
(REG)
Budget
Fund
Affiliate
(BFA)
Ledger
Account
Summary Account Title
FY 2025
Amendment
FY 2026
Amendment
FY 2027
Amendment
R General Fund Non-Departmental FND10100 CCN9010101 RC665882 PRG196030 665882 Planned Use of Fund Balance $500,000.00 $-$-
Total Revenues $500,000.00 $-$-
E General Fund Health Administration FND10100 CCN1060101 SC730373 PRG173070 730000 Contractual Services $500,000.00 $-$-
Total Expenditures $500,000.00 $-$-