MICHIGAN (WKZO AM/FM) — The Michigan League for Public Policy is out with their 2020 Kids Count in Michigan Project report and it shows kids’ needs are more important than ever amid the coronavirus pandemic.
— Statewide Statistics —
Each year states and counties are examined based on 16 child well-being indicators in four categories: Economic Security, Education, Family and Community, and Health and Safety.
This year’s report shows teen births and child poverty are down throughout the entire state.
“That means that less and less kids are struggling with the stress of meeting ends meet and having all the resources that they need to develop optimally,” said Kelsey Perdue, Kids Count in Michigan Project Director.
However Perdue adds that although child poverty is down, the number of families struggling to make ends meet between the high cost of living and their earnings is not enough to afford a barebones budget.
The study was also conducted before the coronavirus pandemic hit Michigan, so this shows where kids were at before the crisis, and where the biggest needs will be following it.
Here are some key findings for Michigan, according to 2020 Kids Count online data profiles:
- Economic Security: Since 2010, the percentage of Michigan children age 0-17 living in poverty has improved from 23.4 percent in 2010 to 19.3 percent in 2018. That still means that nearly 1 in 5 Michigan children live in poverty, a rate that is far too high. Looking at what it really costs to make ends meet, almost 1.7 million Michigan households—42.3 percent—were living in poverty or below the ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) threshold in 2017, an increase over the past decade.
- Food Access: For School Year 2018-2019, half of all Michigan kids—730,891—received free or reduced-price lunch. For that same year, 162,111 Michigan kids age 0-18—nearly a quarter—received food assistance benefits. Young kids (those 0-5) are most at risk of not having enough food or nutritionally adequate foods, jeopardizing vital brain and body development.
- Healthcare Coverage: Healthcare continues to be a bright spot for Michigan kids, with 97 percent having health coverage in 2017. Michigan’s improved healthcare coverage for kids is due in large part to the Affordable Care Act and the Healthy Michigan Plan.
- Child Abuse and Neglect: Child abuse and neglect continue to be a concern in the state, with children in investigated families increasing by 71.8 percent and confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect increasing 33.7 percent over the last decade.
- Children’s Internet Access: Statewide, 87.7 percent of children age 0-17 in the state live in homes with access to the internet. The 12.3 percent of kids who do not have internet at home equals about 266,000 kids. Kids’ internet access by county ranges between 65 percent and 96 percent, and is lowest in rural areas.
Overall the report states that 80 Michigan counties saw a decrease in child poverty, 79 counties saw a decrease in teen births, and 55 counties saw a decrease in young adult poverty since 2010. The profile also shows that 57 counties saw an increase in high school graduation rates.
— Specifics for Kalamazoo —
There are some good reports coming from Kalamazoo. Statistics show the county was the only one to improve in all poverty categories.
Perdue says child poverty, young adult poverty, and the number of families struggling to make ends meet are all down in Kalamazoo; however, she adds that the number of confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect still need to be better addressed.
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Kids Count in Michigan Project has been around for over 25 years and updated data is released each year.
Perdue adds that the report is also used to create actual change in the community. “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. We hope that collaboration can continue to tackle the problems facing Michigan kids before, during and after the COVID-19 crisis.”
More details for each county can be found here.
