Issues Affecting the Children of Michigan

Michigan's Children is a multi-issue advocacy organization targeting its efforts on raising awareness and identifying solutions to critical issues facing children and families statewide.  We work to improve public policies in order to ensure that All children grown up healthy, safe, well-educated and prepared to join a creative and skilled workforce necessary to Michigan's economy.

Creating educated, skilled adults for the 21st century begins at birth and extends through young adulthood. Michigan's Children supports strategic investments in children from the cradle to a career. Without investments in young children, the state's attempts to improve educational achievement will fail. Without investments in these same children once they enter school, the state's attempts to increase high school graduation rates will fail. And without investments in these same young people who struggle to stay engaged with school or have already become disengaged, the state's attempts to expand access to higher education and modernize its economy will fail.

The single best predictor of economic prosperity is a state's success in educating and preparing its workforce. Our 2011 Legislative and Administrative Policy Agenda, Creating Michigan's Future: Ensuring Our Children are Ready to Learn and Lead, directs our work in these areas of concentration:

Children, youths and families need to be made a priority in the state and federal budgets.  Read more

Children need to be raised by parents or caregivers who have the supports they need to be their children's first, consistent and best teachers, and need to be guaranteed the opportunity to participate in high quality early learning programs.  Read more

Children and youths need to be educated in high quality schools engaging parents and the community in preparing students for post-secondary education, work and life.  Read more