FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2024
Contact:
Laura Millard Ross
lauramr@mlpp.org
(517) 281-1084
2024 Kids Count in Michigan Data Profiles provide latest insights into child well-being in Michigan, new focus on early childhood underscores need for stronger child care investments
Declines in childhood poverty and infant mortality counted among positive statewide trends, declines in preschool enrollment and children receiving cash assistance counted among worsening trends
LANSING—Building upon the many wins for Michigan families and children in the state’s latest budget agreement, today’s release of the 2024 Kids Count in Michigan Data Profiles provides new insights for state policymakers on how children are faring in the state and reveals ongoing areas of need that must be addressed to ensure brighter futures for Michigan’s youngest residents.
The Data Profiles include statewide, county, regional and select city data and trends in four categories: economic security, education, health and safety, and family and community. New this year, the Data Profiles also include specific indicators for children ages birth to 5 in an effort to shine a brighter light on needs related to early childhood in Michigan.
This year’s findings include an analysis of trends comparing data from, in most cases, 2017 to 2022 or 2023. The statewide data profile shows that Michigan saw improvement in 13 of 19 key areas.
Given that some of the latest data came out in 2022, it is likely that pandemic-era support continued to play a role in certain improvements that were seen, including a decline in childhood poverty, a decline in early childhood poverty, a decrease in families with high housing cost burden and a decline in students experiencing homelessness.
Other positive statewide trends include a decline in infant mortality and an increase in students graduating on time. While the percentage of Michigan students graduating on time dropped during the pandemic after several years of steady increases, the latest data shows that this indicator is moving back in the right direction, with 81.8% of Michigan students completing high school on time in 2023.
Some of the worsening statewide trends include a decline in children receiving cash assistance, a decline in 3- and 4-year-olds in preschool, a decrease in children ages 1-2 being tested for lead and a decline in 3rd graders proficient in reading. More than half of Michigan’s counties saw declines in 3rd grade reading proficiency and preschool enrollment, while enrollment in the state’s basic cash assistance program–known as the Family Independence Program (FIP)–decreased in 75 of Michigan’s 83 counties, likely due to the program’s outdated payment standard and stringent eligibility requirements.
“While the drops we see in some of the key areas of child well-being are cause for concern, we are hopeful that we’ll see an increase in some of these figures in the future thanks to recent, stronger investments in the Great Start Readiness Program and FIP as well as the recent expansion of lead testing to all Michigan toddlers,” said Kids Count Policy Director Anne Kuhnen. “Our state lawmakers have made some great progress in recent years. In future years, it’s important that they remain focused on bold, long-term investments for Michigan’s kids in order to gain momentum in areas where we know we could be doing better, especially when it comes to education and early childhood.”
In terms of early childhood, the majority of Michigan’s counties–49–saw an increase in the share of children ages birth to 5 with all parents in the labor force from 2017 to 2022. And the state as a whole saw a slight increase, with the percentage of young children with all parents in the workforce going from 66.2% in 2017 to 67% in 2022.
While it’s good to have high rates of employment for parents, it also means the state needs to do more to ensure access to child care so that they can remain in the workforce. In fact, a recent nationwide survey shows that 1 in 3 parents would seek more hours at work and 1 in 4 would seek a new job if reliable child care were available.
“Our state continues to have a significant unmet need for affordable, high-quality child care due to a lack of state investment. For every $1,000 invested in the care and education of school-age children here in Michigan, our state is investing just $210 in the care and education of young children, with the majority of that small amount allocated to state-funded pre-K,” said Michigan League for Public Policy President and CEO Monique Stanton. “If we want to have strong communities and a thriving economy, Michigan needs to do more to prioritize child care, especially for children ages birth to 3 years old.”
While Michigan did see an increase in the number of children receiving Child Development and Care (CDC) scholarships from 2017 to 2023–thanks in part to the state increasing the income eligibility level during the pandemic from 130% of the federal poverty level in 2020 to 200% of the federal poverty level today–the program still reaches too few children. In 2023, 42,704 Michigan children ages birth to 5 received a CDC scholarship, up from 38,994 in 2017, but that is still just a small share of the over 650,000 kids under 6 years old in the state, which leaves an overwhelming majority of families left to cover the full cost of care. It’s also important to note that less than 15% of child care investment in Michigan comes from state funds, with the other 85% supplemented by federal dollars through the Child Care and Development Fund.
In addition to shortchanging Michigan’s families and children, the state’s underinvestment in child care is also a racial and gender justice issue given that women, especially women of color, are overrepresented in the child care sector and are expected to work for very little or no compensation due to the undervaluation of care work in our state and country. Today, approximately 97% of Michigan’s child care workers are women earning less than $15 an hour on average, and wage gaps across the entire labor market are shown to be the highest for women of color.
“Michigan’s children, families and child care workers deserve to be prioritized through strong state investments in child care,” said Kuhnen. “Countless studies have shown that children who participate in high-quality early care and education programs have better educational outcomes in the long run, so failing to invest in their early years truly is a missed opportunity. To unlock our state’s full potential, our policymakers need to be making smart and enduring investments in child care.”
2024 POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHILD CARE:
- Increase state spending on the Child Development and Care Program, which can be afforded by eliminating the state’s flat tax and bringing back the estate tax.
- Increase access to child care scholarships by exempting parents from work requirements for families facing homelessness and adopting presumptive eligibility.
- Increase compensation for child care providers by increasing subsidy reimbursement rates and establishing automatic eligibility for parents working in child care settings.
2024 POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE:
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- Adopt a state Child Tax Credit
- Enact paid family and medical leave
- Fully fun the Opportunity Index
- Increase mental health access in schools
- Close the postpartum coverage gap
- Adopt multi-year continuous Medicaid/CHIP coverage for children under age 6
- Revive the Emergency Rental Assistance program
- End juvenile life without parole
- Expand the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit to workers under 25 without children
- Adopt universal free community college
The 2024 Kids Count in Michigan Data Profiles are a companion piece to the League’s 2023 Kids Count in Michigan Data Book. The Data Book is released biennially. Together, the 2023 Data Book and 2024 Data Profiles offer a comprehensive look at child well-being, state and local progress on kids and families’ needs, and related policy wins and ongoing challenges.
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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on opportunity for all. Its mission is to use data to educate, advocate and fight for policy solutions that undo historic and systemic racial and economic inequities to lift up Michiganders who have been left out of prosperity. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way. The League is the State of Michigan’s Kids Count organization.
The Kids Count in Michigan project, https://mlpp.org/kids-count/, is part of a broad national effort to improve conditions for children and their families. Endurunding for the project is provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, the Ruth Mott Foundation, the Frey Foundation, The Children’s Foundation and United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Additional state and local data is available at www.datacenter.kidscount.org.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
