For Immediate Release
April 29, 2020
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
CELL: 517-775-9053
Annual Kids Count data released, highlights kids’ needs in light of COVID-19 crisis
Profiles examine economic security, food access, healthcare and more at state, county level
LANSING—Today, the Michigan League for Public Policy’s Kids Count in Michigan Project released its 2020 Kids Count online data profiles that examine child well-being at the state and county level.
The profiles look at 16 child well-being indicators in four categories—Economic Security, Education, Family and Community, and Health and Safety—for each of Michigan’s 83 counties, with additional data profiles for five regions, the cities of Flint and Detroit, and the state as a whole. This data and analysis of Michigan kids’ needs is more important than ever in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.
“Kids across the state are full of promise and potential, and policymakers need to listen to the data and make sound policy decisions to make sure they all thrive,” said Kelsey Perdue, Kids Count in Michigan Project Director. “The policy and funding needs of Michigan kids will be more important than ever in the months ahead as the Legislature may have to make substantial cuts to the state budget while also helping distribute more than $3 billion in federal COVID relief for the state.”
While the most recent data available on child well-being in Michigan does not incorporate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, it shows where kids were at before this health and economic crisis, and where the biggest needs will be following it. The business closures and job losses related to COVID-19 will have a significant impact on Michigan parents and their kids, putting even greater emphasis on safety net programs, food security, healthcare, child abuse and neglect prevention and more.
Here are some of the key findings in the 2020 Kids Count profiles—and data that is particularly relevant to the COVID-19 crisis and the related economic strain.
- Economic Security: Since 2010, the percentage of Michigan children age 0-17 living in poverty has improved from 23.4 percent in 2010 to 19.3 percent in 2018. That still means that nearly 1 in 5 Michigan children live in poverty, a rate that is far too high. Looking at what it really costs to make ends meet, almost 1.7 million Michigan households—42.3 percent—were living in poverty or below the ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) threshold in 2017, an increase over the past decade.
- Food Access: For School Year 2018-2019, half of all Michigan kids—730,891—received free or reduced-price lunch. For that same year, 162,111 Michigan kids age 0-18—nearly a quarter—received food assistance benefits. Young kids (those 0-5) are most at risk of not having enough food or nutritionally adequate foods, jeopardizing vital brain and body development.
- Healthcare Coverage: Healthcare continues to be a bright spot for Michigan kids, with 97 percent having health coverage in 2017. Michigan’s improved healthcare coverage for kids is due in large part to the Affordable Care Act and the Healthy Michigan Plan.
- Child Abuse and Neglect: Child abuse and neglect continue to be a concern in the state, with children in investigated families increasing by 71.8 percent and confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect increasing 33.7 percent over the last decade.
- Children’s Internet Access: Statewide, 87.7 percent of children age 0-17 in the state live in homes with access to the internet. The 12.3 percent of kids who do not have internet at home equals about 266,000 kids. Kids’ internet access by county ranges between 65 percent and 96 percent, and is lowest in rural areas.
“The Kids Count data is intended to be an advocacy tool as well as an informational one, and the project achieved several big wins over the past year,” Perdue said. “We helped successfully pass ‘Raise the Age’ to stop automatically treating all justice-involved 17-year-olds as adults. With criminal justice reform, key 2020 budget investments and other important policy decisions, lawmakers have shown that they can put political differences aside to work for common sense and the common good. We hope that collaboration can continue to tackle the problems facing Michigan kids before, during and after the COVID-19 crisis.”
In looking at county trends in the data, 80 counties saw a decrease in child poverty, 79 counties saw a decrease in teen births, and 55 counties saw a decrease in young adult poverty since 2010. The profiles also show that 57 counties saw an increase in high school graduation rates over the trend period.
Child abuse and neglect continue to show concerning trends, with 81 counties seeing an increase in children in investigated families, 64 counties seeing an increase in confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect, and 51 counties seeing an increase in children in out-of-home care since 2010. Over the trend period, 62 counties saw an increase in households below the ALICE threshold and 68 counties saw a decrease in students scoring proficient in Grade 3 English Language Arts on the M-STEP.
Note that the county data available is different for some indicators and these trends are not all out of 83 total counties.
BACKGROUND:
Please note that some additional changes have been made to the Kids Count data and how it is presented this year. Beginning this year, the annual Kids Count in Michigan Data Book will be produced every other year. The 2020 profiles are an online tool to provide the same data that is usually covered in the book and are easily accessible. Based on feedback from our partners, the Kids Count Project has also moved away from ranking counties in each child well-being indicator and in overall child well-being, instead promoting trends within each county to focus on areas of improvement and areas of need.
The Michigan League for Public Policy has developed a series of policy briefs addressing the COVID-19 crisis that can be accessed here.
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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, Battle Creek Community Foundation, and the Fetzer Institute. More state and local data are available at the Kids Count Data Center, www.datacenter.kidscount.org.
The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on economic opportunity for all. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
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.
