DETROIT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Detroit is getting ready to hand out cash to new mothers, launching one of the largest city-run aid programs of its kind in the country.

The city plans to launch Rx Kids–Detroit within the next 100 days, offering $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 a month for at least six months after birth to all Detroit residents who are at least 16 weeks pregnant, regardless of income.

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Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the program Jan. 5 alongside Dr. Mona Hanna, founder of the Flint-based Rx Kids initiative. Officials estimate about 8,000 babies are born in Detroit each year.

The program carries an estimated $4 million annual price tag, with funding drawn from city and state sources alongside philanthropic and corporate contributions. Detroit will contribute $500,000 annually for three years, while external partners supply the remainder.

Launched in Flint two years ago, Rx Kids has since spread to more than a dozen Michigan cities. Detroit’s rollout comes as new census figures place more than half of the city’s children below the poverty line, the highest rate among Michigan’s large cities.

With checks expected to go out later this year, the debate over Rx Kids is likely to shift quickly from theory to results—and whether early outcomes justify the cost.