FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2021
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517-775-9053
COVID-19 Pandemic Jeopardizes Michigan’s Progress on Child and Family Well-Being, Exposes Greatest Needs
Michigan ranked 28 overall in national KIDS COUNT Data Book; State Data Book provides county data on areas of improvement, ongoing challenges
LANSING— Michigan was doing better than half of its peer states in children’s economic security and health prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was falling short on education needs, according to the 2021 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how families have fared between the Great Recession and the last year before the COVID-19 crisis.
The Michigan League for Public Policy also released its 2021 Kids Count in Michigan Data Book today, and together, the state and national reports on child well-being show nearly a decade of progress on kids and families’ needs could be erased by the COVID-19 pandemic unless policymakers act boldly to sustain the beginnings of a recovery from the coronavirus crisis. There is also a Michigan-specific profile with the state’s national rankings that accompanied the national book.
“As we look at the things Michigan has done well to better support kids and parents over the last decade, the improvements we’ve seen in children’s health and economic security are now the very areas still being threatened by COVID-19, and the pandemic stands to make Michigan’s existing struggles in education outcomes even worse,” said Kelsey Perdue, Michigan Kids Count director. “We have seen the progress we can make with a concerted effort, sound policy decisions and related investments, and policymakers need to follow that same formula to offset COVID’s impact, especially with the increased state and federal funding available right now.”
Sixteen indicators measuring four domains — Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family and Community Context — are used by the Foundation in each year’s national Data Book to assess child well-being. The national Data Book also tracks how child well-being indicators have been improving or declining in each state, comparing 2010 to 2019 data this year, and ranks states in each domain and in overall child well-being.
For 2021, Michigan was ranked 28th in the nation in overall child well-being, an improvement from its ranking of 32nd last year. Michigan’s best national rank in the four categories was 22nd in Health, followed by its rankings of 24th in Economic Well-Being and 29th in Family and Community Context. Michigan’s lowest national rank was again in Education at 41st in the country. Some noteworthy data points include:
- ECONOMIC WELL-BEING: In 2019, 371,000 children lived in households with an income below the poverty line.
- EDUCATION: In 2017–19, 125,000 young children were not in school.
- AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE: In 2019, 78,000 children did not have health insurance.
- FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CONTEXT: In 2015–19, 295,000 children lived in high- poverty areas.
While the national Data Book analyzes national and state data on child well-being, the 2021 Kids Count in Michigan Data Book: A Better Future is Possible examines state, regional, county and some city data, with the two reports working together to tell the whole story of how Michigan kids and their families are doing. The League looks at four similar domains as the national Data Book — Economic Security, Education, Health and Safety, and Family and Community — to assess child well-being. Some of the individual indicators and data sources vary within those categories, but this year’s state Data Book also primarily compares data from 2010 to 2019 along with most recent year data for additional indicators.
The Michigan Data Book also found that Michigan worsened in less than adequate prenatal care from 2010 to 2019, and children in investigated families went up (worsened) from 2010 to 2020, and the number of 3- and 4-year-olds in school stayed the same from 2010-2019. The Michigan Data Book’s Education indicators have different year ranges due to testing changes and methodology, but the state improved in eighth graders proficient in math between 2015 and 2018 and students graduating high school on time from 2010 to 2020. The state worsened in third graders proficient in English Language Arts from 2015 to 2019.
While the report includes the most recent information available for the state, it does not fully capture the impact of the past year. Additional survey data from the last year that are included in the books add to the story of Michigan’s children and families in this moment, looking at the struggles with economic, food, and housing security, educational challenges, and mental health strain of the pandemic on kids and parents.
“Michigan children and families should be at the forefront of every policy decision, and all children should be given the same opportunities to thrive. No child’s well-being should be based on their race, ethnicity, family income or zip code,” said Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit). “The Kids Count data help ensure lawmakers know how kids are doing in our districts and what policies can help improve the lives of our young people. As a state Senator and as a mom, securing the well-being of Michigan’s kids is the most important part of my work.”
The 2021 Kids Count in Michigan Data Book and national KIDS COUNT® Data Book show simply returning to a pre-pandemic level of support for children and families would shortchange millions of kids and fail to address persistent racial and ethnic disparities. Investing in children, families and communities is a priority to ensure an equitable and expansive recovery. The Michigan Data Book’s policy recommendations include:
- Adopting a weighted school funding formula to fund schools based on community and student need.
- Improving job opportunities, working conditions and tax implications by restoring Michigan’s Earned Income Tax Credit to 20% of the federal credit, expanding the Homestead Property Tax Credit and implementing a graduated income tax to help Michigan workers keep more of their hard-earned wages.
- Raising Michigan’s income eligibility threshold for state child care subsidies to a minimum of 185%, with incremental increases to 250% of poverty, and increasing payments to child care providers to reflect the actual cost of care, increasing quality, availability and access for families.
- Eliminating low eligibility thresholds, child compliance and other barriers that prevent families from accessing critical safety net programs.
- Ensuring adequate support for programs that assist foster youth exiting the system with education, housing and work.
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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 advance economic security, racial equity, health and well-being for all people in Michigan through policy change. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
The Kids Count in Michigan project, www.mlpp.org/kids-count, is part of a broad national effort to improve conditions for children and their families. Funding for the project is provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, Steelcase Foundation, Michigan Education Association, American Federation of Teachers Michigan, Ruth Mott Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, DTE Energy Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund and the Battle Creek Community Foundation. More state and local data are available at the Kids Count Data Center, www.datacenter.kidscount.org.
About the Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation creates a brighter future for the nation’s children by developing solutions to strengthen families, build paths to economic opportunity and transform struggling communities into safer and healthier places to live, work and grow. For more information, visit www.aecf.org. KIDS COUNT® is a registered trademark of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
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.
