Community Foundation Hosts Rx Kids Panel at Mackinac Policy Conference

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan sponsored a vibrant panel conversation during the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference about Rx Kids, a transformative initiative that aims to strengthen families and reduce childhood poverty. 

Spanning communities throughout the state, Rx Kids is the nation’s first parent and infant cash prescription program that rises above political divides to provide life-changing financial security during the critical period of pregnancy and infancy. The Community Foundation panel — “Rx Kids: A Data-Driven Discussion on Health and Economic Outcomes” — explored bipartisan and business-sector support for the initiative.  

Community Foundation President and CEO Nicole Sherard-Freeman moderated the panel, which featured Rx Kids Founder and Director Dr. Mona Hanna; Superior Health Foundation CEO Megan Murphy; and Michael Horrigan, president of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. 

Kicking off the conversation, Sherard-Freeman reflected on the Community Foundation’s own investment in Rx Kids expansions in Pontiac and Detroit and how the program connects with our focus areas of Health Equity, Youth and Education, and Economic Opportunity. 

“We deeply support this work because it aligns with our values,” Sherard-Freeman said. “We want to center families, and we want to center what is right in communities, particularly around health equity, which we believe means access to health and opportunity for everybody.  

“We actually had Dr. Mona present recently to our Legal Financial Network. Those are some of the most pragmatic, strong, clear thinkers, and nobody said anything about ideology. They were like, this is good policy. It just makes a lot of sense and that’s what we’re here to talk about today.” 

Some of the session’s top takeaways included:

• By providing direct financial support during pregnancy and early infancy, Rx Kids addresses the root causes of health and economic disparities  

• Every $1 invested from Rx Kids generates about $2.40 in impact, while also supporting local businesses and creating jobs.  

• From Flint to rural Upper Peninsula communities, this program can adapt to different environments and political contexts, proving it can succeed statewide and beyond. 

“What has surprised me the most (about Rx Kids) has been being able to reimagine, with all of you, how we take care of each other,” Hanna told the audience. “It’s fundamentally about healthy moms, healthy babies, healthy communities.” 

The panel tied into this year’s conference theme, “A Quest for Common Ground,” which urged leaders to rise above divisiveness and champion pragmatic solutions that respond to Michiganders’ clear demand for meaningful action and tangible results. This theme played out during panel sessions inside the Grand Hotel, conversations on the porch, and at receptions around Mackinac Island about Michigan’s potential to unite differing perspectives and tackle complex challenges collaboratively. 

Other key topics at the Detroit Regional Chamber event, which ran from May 26-28, included education, economic opportunity and artificial intelligence. Community Foundation team members met each day with business leaders, government officials, philanthropy peers, community partners and other key stakeholders to build the resources, relationships and expertise required to expand access to opportunities for people throughout our region. 

The team returns energized and committed to achieving our vision of a southeast Michigan where everyone can thrive.