Meet June Battjes, Michigan’s Children Newest Intern
Hello, my name is June Battjes, and I am glad to be joining the Michigan Children’s team as an intern this year. I am currently a senior at Michigan State…
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A Teen’s Perspective: Growing Up as a Kinship Kid – a Life Filled with Losses, Worry but Much Gratitude
October 6, 202I – I speak not only for myself, but on behalf of many other children being raised in kinship families when I say how grateful I am that…
Read More Guest Blog: Child Tax Credit is a ‘Godsend,” Says Mother of 3 Teens
(July 29, 2021) For many families, including my own, there is a need to prepare for the future on many levels. The past few years have really challenged us to…
Read More Make Temporary Tax Change Permanent to Benefit Families with Children
There is no more important work than that of helping young people grow into thriving adults. Nobody puts more work into any one child or youth than that child’s parents…
Read More Now a Federal Holiday, Juneteenth Calls on Us to Build a More Equitable Nation
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved Black people that the Union had won the war and they were now free. Those in Galveston…
Read More Make Historic Child Care Investments Work for Families, including the Need for Summer Learning Programs for School-Age Youth this Year
Making public policy work for children, youth, and families means helping families thrive, no matter what ages their children may be. This summer, many working families would like to rely…
Read More Michigan Poised for Important Progress in Child Care Improvements
Never has there been a time when more attention was focused nationally on child care access. The pandemic has exacerbated the already grim state of the child care system in…
Read More Former Foster Youth Credits On-Campus, Post-Secondary Education and Help with Giving Her a Better Future
As a child of the state’s foster care system, I’ve had experiences that most people couldn’t relate to. But I’ve also gained incredible insights into what helps young adults like…
Read More Measuring a Legacy: Michele Corey’s Inspiration and the Work Ahead
I’ve been thinking a lot about legacies lately and how we can best carry forward the life of people so significant. There are over seven billion people in the world…
Read More Michigan’s Uber Advocate for Afterschool, Mary Sutton Built a System with Perpetual Grace and Grit
(May 28, 2021) In a Zoom-style farewell this week with over 50 of her closest colleagues, Mary Sutton was equally praised for her cool-headed knack for tackling the granular details…
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