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Programs
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Central to Michigan’s Children work at the state Capitol is Budget Watch, one of our longest-running programs. This program is aimed at increasing public awareness of the nature and scope of public investments in children and families in Michigan, and increasing civic involvement in budget decision-making by analyzing public spending and providing frequent written reports detailing the impact of state budget proposals and decisions on children and families through publications, electronic alerts and online. Read our Budget Basics reports |
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Community Outreach & Engagement |
In addition to working directly with legislators and policymakers to put forward its agenda, Michigan's Children works to give community leaders, parents and youth the tools that they need to advocate on their own behalf for better policies and programs. They help community partners stay informed about advocacy opportunities in Michigan and keep you connected to other advocates working hard to make similar changes. Michigan's Children can help you act now continue to act by providing timely information, partnering on youth forums and connecting public policy with other training opportunities. Read more about how to Get Involved
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Voices Leadership Training - Michigan’s Children in 2008 trained more than 250 parents, caregivers and others to be advocates on their own behalf during 11 leadership trainings held in 8 communities during 2008. Participants are motivated to communicate more consistently with policymakers, and practice skills needed to do so effectively. Trainings vary in length and content, and always include opportunities to use the skills developed. For more information, contact Director of Advocacy Michele Corey.
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Michigan's Children's Graduate Michigan initiative builds public support for creating state and local policy and practices that improve educational opportunities for young people. The effort, funded by the Flint-Based C.S. Mott Foundation, is building policy support for multiple pathways to high school graduation and better leveraging of community partnerships toward developing and maintaining those pathways. By engaging and mobilizing key stakeholders, including policymakers, educational organizations and associations, youth-serving agencies and advocates, and others, Michigan's Children is formulating and fighting for best practices to better serve students and the state. This project utilizes a variety of tools and platforms, including youth forums, issue papers and fact sheets, work with media, and direct contact with legislators and other policymakers at the local, state and federal levels. Read more about Graduate Michigan
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Kids Count in Michigan is a partnership between the Michigan League for Human Services and Michigan's Children - two organizations committed to providing information about the status of children and families in Michigan communities and the role of public policy in impacting that status. This knowledge can then be used to improve policies and practices to make Michigan children healthier, safer and more successful in school and in life. Kids Count in Michigan is part of a broader national effort to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Read more about Kids Count. |
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Ending Racial and Ethnic Disparities for Michigan’s Children
Generous support through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has allowed Michigan’s Children to redouble our efforts to raise public and policy-maker awareness of race and ethnic disparities in outcomes for children, youth and their families; increase commitment around the state to the importance of equal opportunity for all Michigan children; and develop and support public policy solutions to current inequities. Through the Race Matters project, Michigan’s Children will also be increasing civic engagement in state budget and public policy debates, with a focus on advocacy in communities most impacted by policy decisions.
To learn more, please see the Equity page of our website and visit the Race Matters section of our Library. |
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KidSpeak® - A signature program of Michigan’s Children, this event brings youths to policymakers to share their concerns on a variety of topics. Read more about recent KidSpeak events
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Our Life in the D - A youth-driven multimedia training and leadership project intended to provide young people living in Detroit with a Web site and a voice as they explore issues they face in their communities. Our Life in the D is a project of Michigan’s Children with support from the McGregor Fund, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Skillman Foundation. Read more about Our Life in the D
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Youth Legislative Day - Since 2001, Michigan’s Children has offered Youth Legislative Day as a hands-on approach to teaching the legislative process to youths through total immersion and role-playing. With the help of select legislators, staff, and lobbyists, students are trained in drafing, researching, writing, debating and voting upon legislation at the Capitol, giving them a heightened awareness of public policy and deeper interest in civic involvement. Read more about YLD
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Youth Voices Changing Public Policy - These forums help communities bring elected officials and other community leaders to community settings where policymakers can experience first-hand a program and issue facing young people by spending time talking directly with them, and visiting the programs that serve them. These forums have been held in communities in Kent, Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Macomb, Muskegon, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties. Read more about YVCPP
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Programs
