FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2026
Contact:
Laura Millard Ross
lauramr@mlpp.org
(517) 281-1084
New 2026 Kids Count in Michigan Data Profiles show key information for each of Michigan’s 83 counties, plus select cities and regions
Profiles show an increase in food insecurity, declines in health coverage, reading scores
New report released on Michigan’s youth and young adults; majority of counties saw an increase in the share of teens not in school or working
LANSING—The Michigan League for Public Policy released its 2026 Kids Count in Michigan Data Profiles and a special report on youth and young adults today. These resources provide the latest evidence and insights into the well-being of children and young adults in Michigan, which state policymakers and other state leaders can use in addressing their most pressing needs.
The Data Profiles include statewide and county data and trends in five categories: economic security, education, health and safety, family and community, and young adults. Additionally, data is compiled for three cities with some of the highest child populations in the state: Detroit, Flint and Grand Rapids.
This year’s findings include an analysis of trends from 2019 to the most recent year that data is available, either 2024 or 2025. The statewide data profile shows that Michigan saw improvement in 6 of 15 key areas. While it is encouraging to see some statewide improvement across a few key areas, Michigan still has a long way to go in ensuring healthy, bright futures for all children and young adults. Most notably, food insecurity rose in nearly every county in Michigan, and statewide it increased from 14.2% in 2019 to 19.7% in 2024 for children ages 0-17. Despite this, 10% fewer Michigan children are receiving benefits through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
“Food insecurity for our youngest residents is on the rise in Michigan while, at the same time, programs like WIC are being underutilized and unconscionable federal cuts have been made to other vital social safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” said Michigan League for Public Policy acting President & CEO Karen Holcomb-Merrill. “Our recent Kids Count data shows that this is not a time for food to be stripped away from families raising kids. The impacts will be dire and Michigan children deserve better. Federal and state policymakers need to prioritize the economic security of families so that children have food on their tables and all the other basic necessities needed to grow up healthy and strong.”
In addition to the drop in food security, approximately 1,500 fewer children ages 0-18 in Michigan are receiving cash assistance, falling from 28,611 in 2019 to 27,103 in 2025, despite the statewide poverty rate for children ages 0-17 remaining high at 17.7%.
HEALTH AND SAFETY: 72 out of 83 Michigan counties saw a decline in the share of children insured by Medicaid. These healthcare coverage declines are due in large part to the unwinding of the pandemic’s continuous coverage provisions for Medicaid from 2022 to 2023, and they will be further exacerbated by recent federal cuts to Medicaid. However, on a positive note, rates of lead testing improved in 54 of 83 Michigan counties and progress is expected to build in the coming years as a result of the state’s full implementation of universal lead testing in 2025.
EDUCATION: 90% of counties saw declines in 3rd grade reading proficiency and, statewide, the percentage of 3rd-graders not proficient in reading increased from 54.9% in 2019 to 61.1% in 2025. The share of students receiving special education services rose 15%, increasing in 77 out of 83 counties. It should be noted that the cost of special education services continues to fall largely on individual districts, with the state providing just 26% of the service costs, creating geographic disparities.
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY: The majority of counties saw an increase in the share of teens not in school or working, and Michigan saw a 4% increase in the share of children who are foreign-born. While funding for the Office of Global Michigan was cut in the latest state budget despite this increase in foreign-born children, the Michigan Legislature did move funding for English-language learners to the foundation allowance, ensuring that these funds will remain in the budget for years to come and will be allocated as a percentage of the foundation allowance.
YOUNG ADULTS: Michigan saw a 5% decline in the share of young adults who are enrolled in or have completed college, a trend that may hinder the state’s progress toward its Sixty by 30 goal. On a more positive note, over half of young adults registered to vote in Michigan turned out in the 2024 presidential election. Michigan has received recognition in recent years for the engagement of young voters.
The report on youth and young adults delves deeper into how young people are currently faring in Michigan. Michigan is home to 937,461 young adults ages 18 to 24 who are studying, working, caregiving and leading in communities across the state, and although the state’s young adult population has declined over the past decade, it is becoming increasingly diverse. In terms of financial security, it’s promising to learn that the poverty rate for young adults has declined by 33% over the past 10 years; however, it’s still above the national average and disparities across race and ethnicity do persist due to systemic barriers to opportunity. The report also shares new data on voting, workforce readiness, education access and mental health to paint a more complete picture of the well-being of Michigan’s young adults. Additionally, it includes three key policy recommendations pertaining to youth and young adults:
- Ensure all Michigan students have access to the Community College Guarantee, including those living outside of a community college district.
- Improve enforcement of the Youth Employment Standards Act (YESA) to ensure positive early work experiences for young people under 18.
- Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to workers under 25 without children to improve their financial security. This is especially important as 1 in 5 of Michigan’s young adults are living in poverty.
“Michigan’s young adults are stepping into new roles as the future leaders of our state and it’s important that we focus on how to lift them up as they do that,” said Kids Count in Michigan Policy Director Anne Kuhnen. “As young people are making decisions about school, careers and community that will help shape their futures — and the future of Michigan — our state’s lawmakers and leaders need to show up for them with strong policies and investments that will give them the right foundation to face any challenges along the way.”
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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 also the State of Michigan’s Kids Count organization.
Kids Count in Michigan, https://mlpp.org/kids-count/, is housed within the Michigan League for Public Policy and is part of a broad national effort to improve conditions for children and their families. Long-standing, major funders for the project include the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, the Children’s Foundation, the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, the Ruth Mott Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, United Way for Southeastern Michigan and many other generous sponsors. Additional state and local data is available at www.datacenter.kidscount.org.
Maisha Massey is a Detroit native, educator, researcher and advocate committed to creating more equitable experiences for young people and the communities that support them. She currently teaches 11th-grade English Language Arts in Detroit Public Schools Community District and serves as a TeachMichigan Michigan Education Policy Fellow. Maisha holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Wayne State University, where her research centers the experiences of Black girls in schools. Her work is grounded in the belief that meaningful policy should be informed by the voices and lived experiences of the students, educators and communities most impacted by it.
Betsy Zobl-Tar 
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.
