Disaggregated data is important.

Although race is widely recognized as a social construct rather than a biological reality, racial disparities in child well-being require us to consider how systems of oppression and bias may be driving differences in outcomes.

Breaking down data by race and ethnicity as well as by age, gender and geography allows us to better understand the strengths, needs and aspirations of children growing up in Michigan. Identifying the policies and practices that serve as barriers to opportunity for children and families, whether inadvertent or intentional, is necessary to drive positive change.

Inclusion for children in immigrant families

Immigration is and has always been a core part of a growing and thriving Michigan. Immigrants helped establish Detroit as the Motor City and have contributed to every industry in our state, from health care and education to agriculture and the arts.

The needs of immigrant families and their children are no different from the needs of all families – healthy food, affordable homes and high-quality child care options, just to name a few. We cannot meet the needs of kids in our state if we leave out the 1 in 7 kids living in immigrant families from essential programs and services. Nearly half of immigrant families with children report struggling to meet basic needs, but 1 in 5 adults in immigrant families avoids basic needs programs because of immigration concerns.¹

With population decline threatening Michigan’s future economic stability, supporting the educational and career success of children in immigrant families will be key to sustaining and growing Michigan’s economy. Although many state and federal social programs exclude immigrants and their families, research shows inclusion of immigrant families in social programs, including nutrition, health insurance and cash assistance programs, have positive impacts on parental well-being and reading skills at kindergarten entry.²

Protection for LGBTQ+ youth

Approximately 61,000 youth in Michigan – about 1 in 10 young people ages 13 to 17 – identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. LGBTQ+ young people in Michigan report facing high rates of physical threats, discrimination and bullying due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. As a result, many LGBTQ+ young people are at high risk of suicide as well as anxiety and depression.³

Anxiety and depression are experienced most among transgender youth who are harmed by state and federal efforts to prohibit transgender girls from participating in K-12 sports, ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors and restrict access to bathrooms based on a binary definition of sex. Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act was expanded in recent years to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.⁴

Michigan’s young adults

Michigan is also home to 923,107 young adults ages 18 to 24 who are making the transition from childhood to adulthood, which presents many challenges other adults do not face. Because young adults are often new to the workforce and lack savings, they are more likely than other adults – or children – to be living in poverty.

Many young adults are enrolled in school and working towards a higher credential, but 13% are not in school, not working and do not yet have a degree beyond their high school diploma or GED. In addition, although the age of first pregnancy has been rising for decades, an estimated 5% of young adults are already parents with caregiving responsibilities of their own. Upon becoming an adult, many young adults become ineligible for the safety net programs from which they benefited as children. Stricter eligibility rules starting at age 19 for Medicaid, for example, contribute to high rates of uninsured young adults. In 2025, an estimated 6.9% of young adults in Michigan will be uninsured, more than double the rate of uninsured children.⁵ These rates are likely to increase in the future if attempts to enforce Medicaid work requirements are successful.

Connections for opportunity youth

Michigan is home to approximately 132,000 opportunity youth – sometimes called “disconnected youth” – ages 16 to 24 who are not enrolled in school and not employed. Teens and young adults who are not in school or working are more likely to have low incomes, employment challenges and poor health long into adulthood. Failure to invest in opportunity youth can contribute to further disconnection by limiting their access to good jobs and higher wages in the future. Among the 100 largest U.S. cities, Detroit has the largest share of disconnected youth at 30%.⁶