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Kids Count: Suffering Increases for Michigan Kids
The latest national Kids Count Data Book released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation on August 17, 2011, contains some sobering and tragic news about Michigan’s children whose suffering continues to grow in this economic recession. The 22nd annual data book “America’s Children, America’s Challenge: Promoting Opportunity for the Next Generation” includes national and state-by-state reports on key measures and statistical trends on the condition of America’s children and families. Overall child well-being in Michigan ranked unacceptably below 29 other states this year.

While the nation as a whole saw a less than 20 percent increase in children living in poverty, Michigan experienced a 64 percent jump between 2000 and 2009, according to the report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. We now have almost a quarter of all kids in Michigan  -- over half a million -- living in poverty.  Other startling facts from the report:
  • Over a third (36 percent) of all Michigan kids had no parent working full-time in a year-round job in 2010, putting our state at the bottom of the list at 47th (1st being the best rank.)
  • 12 percent of Michigan kids had at least one unemployed parent in 2010 who was looking for work but unable to find any.
  • 217,000 children were affected by foreclosure between 2007 and 2009.
  • Infants were more likely to survive their first year in 39 other states.


The Data Book also includes recommendations for policymakers, community leaders and others to improve these key indicators of well-being.  Sadly, our state leaders’ recent actions make conditions worse instead of better for our children, including implementing a 48-month lifetime cap on cash assistance and weakening the Earned income Tax Credit that helps many low-income families stay afloat.  Michigan’s kids desperately need the attention and support of our policy makers now with investments beginning at conception and extending through young adulthood. More specific policy actions are outlined in our 2011 Legislative and Administrative Policy Agenda “Creating Michigan’s Future: Ensuring Our Children are Ready to Learn and Lead.” 

The Michigan League for Human Services directs the Kids Count in Michigan project, which is supported through a partnership with Michigan’s Children.  The Michigan press release, trends in the data and talking points are all available on their web site here.

Visit the Data Book home page to download the report and create maps, graphs, and charts at the national, state, and local level.  The new mobile Data Center offers hundreds of measures of child well-being available on any smartphone.