The Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) recently released its annual Kids Count in Michigan Data Book, highlighting key data on the well-being of Michigan’s children and presenting policy recommendations to improve conditions for youth.
The Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) recently released its annual Kids Count in Michigan Data Book, highlighting key data on the well-being of Michigan’s children and presenting policy recommendations to improve conditions for youth.
Kids Count highlights 16 child well-being indicators in four categories: economic security, education, family and community, and health and safety. Data is presented at three levels: statewide, for each of Michigan’s 83 counties and by region.
“Kids across the state are full of promise and potential, and policymakers need to listen to the data and make sound policy decisions to make sure they all thrive,” Kelsey Perdue, Kids Count in Michigan project director, MLPP said in a press release. “The policy and funding needs of Michigan kids will be more important than ever in the months ahead as the Legislature may have to make substantial cuts to the state budget while also helping distribute more than $3 billion in federal COVID relief for the state.”
Some key data profiles include:
Economic security: One in five Michigan children live in poverty, however, the poverty rate decreased from 23.4% in 2010 to 19.3% in 2018.
Education: 81.4% of Michigan students graduate on time, a 7.2% increase from 2010.
Food access: In the 2018-19 school year, half of all Michigan kids received free or reduced-price lunch, while nearly 25% received food assistance benefits.
Healthcare: 97% of Michigan kids have health coverage.
Internet access: 87.7% of Michigan children have access to the internet, with the lowest rates of access in rural areas.
Based on public feedback, MLPP altered its county-by-county ranking system for each data point and replaced it with a color code showing trends for each county: green for improvement, yellow for little or no change and red for worsening.
To improve outcomes and opportunities for children, MLPP presented policy recommendations for the Michigan Legislature.
Recommendations include:
Make expungement of juvenile offenses more accessible and affordable.
Expand paid parental and sick leave for working parents and guardians.
Create a weighted school funding system to better serve students living in poverty, English language learners and students who have special needs.
Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit from 6% to 20% to allow families more funds to pay for necessities.
MLPP cites key policy achievements as a result of Kids Count data.
“The Kids Count data is intended to be an advocacy tool as well as an informational one, and the project achieved several big wins over the past year,” Perdue said. “We helped successfully pass ‘Raise the Age’ to stop automatically treating all justice-involved 17-year-olds as adults. With criminal justice reform, key 2020 budget investments and other important policy decisions, lawmakers have shown that they can put political differences aside to work for common sense and the common good.”
Want more?
View the 2020 Kids Count in Michigan Data Book.
