Abstract To understand participants’ perceptions of Rx Kids, a first-in-the-nation, community-wide prenatal and infant cash transfer program. Open-ended responses to questions assessing 533 participants’ perceptions of Rx Kids were collected in a voluntary survey (53% response rate). In total, 3,608 responses were included in the analysis. Using codebook thematic analysis, researchers coded responses and generated themes. Researchers generated 8 themes: (1) financial stability and spending, (2) mental health and wellbeing, (3) empowerment, agency, & community, (4) parenting resources and perceptions, (5) families’ physical health, (6) gratitude, (7) program end, and (8) program extension and expansion. Findings demonstrate a variety of favorable benefits from Rx Kids participation. Policymakers should consider prenatal and infant cash transfers as an effective intervention to improve outcomes for mothers, families, and communities at large.
Wolock et al. (Thu,) studied this question.