For Immediate Release: June 27, 2018
Contact:
Laura Millard Ross
lauramr@mlpp.org
517-487-5436
Michigan continues to rank in bottom half nationally in child well-being
LANSING, MICHIGAN— Michigan ranks in the bottom half of the nation in every aspect of child well-being according to the 2018 KIDS COUNT® Data Book released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The state’s rankings have fallen or stagnated in areas of economic well-being, education, family and community and health. Recent legislation, as well as a possible undercount in the 2020 Census, will make the status of Michigan’s children even more precarious.
“The numbers released today reflect the priorities of our state’s leaders. Although we hear messaging around Michigan becoming a stronger state filled with a talented young workforce, the policies and budget choices made by lawmakers do not show a desire to improve the well-being of young people,” said Gilda Z. Jacobs, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. “If we want a talented workforce in the future, we need to invest more in early childhood education, communities and families today.”
The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book uses 16 indicators to rank each state across four domains — health, education, economic well-being and family and community — as an assessment of child well-being. In the 2018 Data Book, Michigan received an overall ranking of 33rd with the following national rankings:
- 31st in economic well-being: 21 percent of Michigan kids live in poverty, which is 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. Math proficiency has stalled, and there has been 0 percent change in the percentage of kids graduating on time compared to 2009-2011
- 25th in health: A bright spot for Michigan is the percentage of children with health insurance, due to in part to the state’s decision to expand Medicaid through Healthy Michigan. Currently, only 3 percent of children in Michigan are without health insurance, but that is now threatened by irresponsible legislation around work requirements..
- 30th in family and community: 17 percent of kids live in high-poverty areas, making Michigan one of the worst six states in the nation for that indicator (ranked 44th).
In fact, since 2010, Michigan has seen a 6 percent increase in the number of children living in high-poverty areas. That last statistic is particularly concerning when considering the 2020 census, which was a focus in this year’s Data Book. The Foundation warns of troubling consequences for the nation’s kids with the likely undercount of about 1 million children under five in the 2020 census. About 62,000 kids in Michigan (11 percent), many of them who live in high-poverty areas, are among those who may go uncounted.
“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. “This is a frightening notion, especially because children of color, children with low family income and children in immigrant families stand to suffer the most — these are the groups who are already being left behind.”
In this year’s Data Book, the Foundation noted that millions of young children around the country live in neighborhoods where there’s a high risk of missing kids in the count, which would short-change child well-being over the next decade by putting at risk hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding for programs critical to family stability and opportunity. Nationally, roughly 300 federal programs use census-derived data to allocate more than $800 billion a year. Michigan receives more than $4 billion in federal funding annually for the top 10 programs supporting kids.
“If we don’t count children, we render their needs invisible and their futures uncertain,” said Annie E. Casey Foundation President and CEO Patrick McCarthy. “A major census undercount will result in overcrowded classrooms, shuttered Head Start programs, understaffed hospital emergency rooms and more kids without healthcare.”
Reliable data is key to creating policies that work for all Michiganders. The Michigan League for Public Policy urges communities and local governments to invest in outreach around the census to ensure that the most vulnerable communities are counted.
The League has additional recommendations.
Almost 700,000 kids in Michigan live in a family where no parent has full-time unemployment; despite an improvement in employment rates, many residents are working in seasonal and part-time positions to make ends meet. The state ranks 38th in this measure of child well-being.
“Child poverty should be a major concern for the state, and the solution means looking at parents and their kids with a two-generation approach as well as addressing racial and ethnic disparities,” said Guevara Warren. “Michigan legislators should pursue a two-generation policy strategy that would better help families thrive. This approach should include affordable childcare, equitable workplace policies, higher wages and investment in adult education.”
The League also recommends improving access and quality of prenatal care, ensuring access to affordable, quality child care by raising eligibility levels for state child care subsidies, and restoring the state Earned Income Tax Credit to 20 percent of the federal credit.
Supplementing the Casey Foundation’s look at nationwide data through the 2018 KIDS COUNT Data Book is the annual Kids Count in Michigan Data Book from the Michigan League for Public Policy. The 2018 Michigan Data Book has state-level and county-by-county data and rankings. The two reports work in concert to annually illustrate where child well-being stands in the nation, in Michigan and in each county.
Release Information
The 2018 KIDS COUNT® Data Book will be available June 27 at 12:01 a.m. EDT at www.aecf.org. Additional information is available at www.aecf.org/databook, which also contains the most recent national, state and local data on hundreds of indicators of child well-being. Journalists interested in creating maps, graphs and rankings in stories about the Data Book can use the KIDS COUNT Data Center at datacenter.kidscount.org.
About the Kids Count in Michigan Project
The Kids Count in Michigan project 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, 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.
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.
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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.
