As families in Michigan struggle with daily living expenses, bills introduced earlier this month could help give them a bit of a lineline.

State Senate Bills 308 and 313, also called the Building Blocks plan, would provide a $550 tax credit to working families with children up to age three. Another feature is the Rx Kids plan, a $1,500 cash allowance during pregnancy and $500 monthly through the child’s first year.

State Senator Sylvia Santana acknowledges that as childcare and grocery costs rise, wages have not been enough to sustain a family.

“What we’re doing with this package of bills is making sure that families don’t have those concerns when it comes to being able to sustain their family financially,” Santana said. “So whether it be cutting the taxes for working families that don’t receive a lot of income, I think that’s really important to being able to get back to a place where they can feel supported in our state.”

Santana, who sponsored the Rx Kids Plan, thinks the focus should be on the baby, rather than worrying about affording diapers or rent. Since 2015, Michigan has lost 40% of its childcare capacity as young workers leave the workforce. This has cost the state almost $3 billion a year in lost productivity and economic growth.