We’re digging into the state-by-state rankings coming out of the newly published 2018 Kids Count Data Book released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

We’re also exploring the Kids Count in Michigan Data Book led by the Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP). The Michigan project is supported by several CMF members, including The Skillman Foundation, Ruth Mott Foundation, Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, Steelcase Foundation, Frey Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, DTE Energy Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund and Battle Creek Community Foundation.

Our state ranks 33rd for overall child well-being, dropping from 32nd last year and 31st two years ago. Michigan remains behind all other Great Lakes states while Minnesota maintained its rank of 4th in the country.

In the four categories of health, family and community, economic well-being and education, the overall trend data shows that compared to last year, our state has improved in one category, dipped in two categories and maintained its rank in one category.

(The 2018 data book is reporting on data from 2016 unless otherwise noted.)

Health: Michigan ranks 25th in the country (down from 17th last year).

The data shows 3 percent of Michigan children did not have health insurance in 2016, compared to 4 percent nationally. When it comes to teens abusing alcohol or drugs, Michigan is in line with the national average at 5 percent.

Family and Community: Michigan ranks 30th in the country (down from 29th last year).

The data shows 17 percent of our state’s children lived in high-poverty areas from 2012-2016 compared to 13 percent nationally. Looking back at 2010 data, the number of teen births per 1,000 has dropped significantly – from 30 to 18 in Michigan and from 34 to 20 nationally.

Economic Well-Being: Michigan ranks 31st in the country (ranking unchanged from last year).

A staggering 21 percent of Michigan kids were living in poverty in 2016, down slightly from the 22 percent in 2015 but still higher than the national average of 19 percent.

Michigan did improve in each of four economic well-being indicators compared to 2010 figures, however the 2018 Kids Count in Michigan Data Book released by the MLPP reveals that poverty and other economic strains remain a significant problem for Michigan kids. “While the rate of child poverty in Michigan has improved by 11.5 percent since 2010, more than 1 in 5 kids in Michigan - including 42 percent of African-American kids and 30 percent of Latinx kids - still lived in poverty in 2016. Additionally, 31 percent of children in Michigan lived in families without year-round, full-time employment.”

Education: Michigan ranks 38th in the country (an improvement from 41st in 2017).

The percentage of fourth graders who are not proficient in reading moved from 71 percent to 68 percent, however this is higher than the national average of 65 percent. Michigan is also faring worse than the national average in eighth graders not proficient in math (69 percent compared to 67 percent) and high school students not graduating on time (20 percent compared to 16 percent).

New to the Michigan Data Book for 2018 is a trend indicator on college readiness. Alarming data shows that 65.1 percent of students did not meet college benchmarks, and among students who are economically disadvantaged, that number soars to 84 percent.

MLPP Recommendations

MLPP suggests raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 17 to 18 years old as a top policy change to better serve Michigan kids, citing that kids housed in adult correctional facilities face a higher risk of being physically or sexually assaulted, and are much more likely to recidivate or commit more violent offenses than youth served by the juvenile justice system.

Michigan is one of five states yet to raise the age.

“By passing the ‘raise the age’ bills, lawmakers could make a difference in improving the lives of Michigan’s kids and bettering our state,” said Alicia Guevara Warren, project director, Kids Count in Michigan. “Regardless of their offense, 17-year-olds in our state are being punished for a lifetime, facing traumatic experiences, getting a criminal record and missing out on education and rehabilitation services. However, with age-appropriate treatment, many will have the opportunity to be productive and help strengthen their communities.”

MLPP has outlined four additional recommendations to address issue areas highlighted in the data:

• Strengthen policies that support work, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. Allowing families to keep more of what they earn improves educational and health outcomes for kids.
• Ensure access to affordable, high-quality child care.
• Expand home visitation programs to help provide additional support to families, remove barriers that prevent access to prenatal care and reduce risk for child abuse and neglect
• Provide sufficient funding for early interventions to improve third grade reading using a birth-to-8 framework and adequately fund public schools, targeting resources in high-need areas and fully funding the At-Risk program.

Risks of an Undercount in the 2020 Census

Recognizing the connection between concerns shown in the 2018 data book and ways those challenges can be addressed or further exacerbated, Annie E. Casey Foundation president and CEO Patrick McCarthy highlights in the 2018 data book the “vital importance” of the census and the risks of an undercount in 2020. “The 2010 U.S. Census failed to count almost 1 million children younger than age 5... The decennial census also historically undercounts children of color as well as kids in low-income and immigrant families.” The publication authors go on to explain these children are least likely to have access to the building blocks that foster their success as shown in many of the trends highlighted in the data book, “Yet the programs and services that support children, families and communities facing significant barriers to success are the very ones jeopardized by an undercount.”

Want more?

Read the 2018 Kids Count Data Book.

Check out the Michigan facts from the 2018 Kids Count Data Book.

Explore the MLPP’s 2018 Kids Count in Michigan Data Book.