News Release: New State Budget Prioritizes Safer Schools, Feeding Kids & Helping Pregnant Women

(Lansing, Mich.) — More school children will learn in safe environments with access to healthy meals, and more pregnant mothers will receive necessary resources to support themselves and their babies under the new state budget signed into law yesterday, Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) said.

The budget enacted for the current 2025–2026 Fiscal Year makes significant investments in protecting and feeding school children, regardless of where they attend school, and improving the economic stability of pregnant mothers and families with newborns in Michigan.

The bipartisan agreement approved by the Legislature and Gov. Whitmer allocates a total of $321 million for school safety, which includes $14 million in security improvement grants for nonpublic schools that collectively educate more than 100,000 Michigan students annually. The Legislature also allocated $3.5 million for nonpublic schools to pay for school resource officers and $3.5 million to provide mental health support services.

MCC has worked throughout the budget process, as it does each year, to advocate for the inclusion of nonpublic schools in support services intended to help all students. The increased investment this year in safety for nonpublic schools comes as security continues to be a priority among leaders of all schools in the wake of deadly attacks, including at the start of this school year at Annunciation Catholic school and parish in Minneapolis.

Students in all eligible Michigan schools will also have access to healthy meals regardless of their family’s means under the new budget, as the Legislature authorized $1.6 million to ensure qualifying nonpublic schools could join the state’s expanded breakfast and lunch program.

Since the Legislature began the expanded meal program, MCC has been advocating for nonpublic students who were initially excluded, which included children who attend schools in higher poverty areas such as Flint, Saginaw, and Jackson.

“All students should feel safe in school, and all students should have access to a healthy meal,” said Paul Stankewitz, policy advocate for MCC. “Feeling safe and ensuring students do not go hungry are crucial to student learning, and this bipartisan budget ensures these priorities are available to more students in Michigan, regardless of the school they attend.”

Rx Kids Receives $270 Million State Investment to Help More Moms, Babies

The budget approved for this year also made a $270 million total investment into the Rx Kids program, which provides a $1,500 payment to mothers in need during their pregnancy and $500 monthly for six months to one year after birth.

The public and privately funded partnership began in Flint and has expanded to serve more women in lower-income areas across the state, including the cities of Pontiac and Kalamazoo, as well as rural areas such as Clare County and the eastern Upper Peninsula.

Rx Kids has provided nearly $16 million in payments to 3,668 enrolled families, according to the program’s website. Nearly 60% of enrolled families report making $20,000 or less in annual household income.

“For years, the Church has been inviting others to join us in walking with mothers in need, to ensure that no woman has to face pregnancy alone and that every woman has the support and love she needs to fulfill her vocation to motherhood,” said Rebecca Mastee, J.D., policy advocate for MCC. “We are grateful the Legislature has re-prioritized a substantial amount of funding toward a program providing material support to mothers in need during a crucial stage of life for herself and her baby.”

The school funding levels are included in Senate Bill 166, which passed the Senate 31-5 and the House 104-5. The Rx Kids funding is contained within the state government budget bill, House Bill 4706, which passed the Senate 31-5 and the House 101-8.

Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.

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