More than 1 in 5 Michigan children are living in poverty, while the state ranks in the bottom half of the nation in every aspect of child well-being, according to the 2018 Kids Count Data Book released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Overall, Michigan ranks 33rd for child well-being and the state's rankings have fallen or stagnated in several areas including economic well-being, education, family and community and health.
The Kids Count Data Book uses 16 indicators to rank the states across four domains: Health, education, economic well-being and family and community.
For those categories, Michigan's rankings were:
- 31st in economic well-being: 21 percent of MIchigan kids live in poverty, higher than the national average of 19 percent
- 38th in education: 69 percent of eighth-graders are not proficient in math and 68 percent of fourth graders are not proficient in reading.
- 25th in health: Only 3 percent of children in Michigan are without health insurance
- 30th in family and community: 17 percent of kids live in high-poverty areas, which makes Michigan one of the worst six states in the nation for that indicator
"Many kids in Michigan are already facing significant barriers, with more than 1 in 5 living in poverty. Now we're learning that 62,000 children in our state could essentially be ignored, potentially causing less federal funds for programs the state badly needs," said Alicia Guevara Warren, Kids Count in Michigan project director at the Michigan League for Public Policy.
You can read the entire data book below.
2018 Kids Count Data Book by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
