For Immediate Release
November 29, 2017
Contact:
Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517.487.5436
Policy blueprint for Michigan lawmakers would turn around abysmal national, regional rankings
LANSING—The well-being of Michigan’s kids has continued to decline and lag behind other states in recent years, hurting Michigan’s ability to be a competitive state and attract and retain talent, families and businesses. But there are many opportunities and bills before the Michigan Legislature right now to better support kids in the state, according to a new Kids Count report, Enhancing Child Well-Being in Michigan: A Guide to Improving KIDS COUNT Outcomes and Rankings, released today by the Michigan League for Public Policy.
The report was made possible by support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, an ongoing supporter of the League’s work in Michigan. For the report released today, the League looked at Michigan’s rankings in the 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book produced in June by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, crunched and compared numbers, connected the child well-being indicators to policies that can improve them, and set tangible data goals for legislators to strive for. Michigan’s national ranking of 41st in education (with 1st being the best) raised particular concern, but child poverty is also a major problem in the state.
“While we include policy recommendations in all of our work, this report goes a step further and sets concrete, data-driven measurable goals to support our kids and improve our national standing,” said Alicia Guevara Warren, Kids Count in Michigan project director at the Michigan League for Public Policy. “Many lawmakers look at Michigan’s rankings in the national KIDS COUNT Data Book and say, ‘Now what?’ Here are some real policy solutions they can pass to make a genuine difference.”
Overall, Michigan was ranked 32nd in child well-being in the 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book, finishing behind all other Great Lakes states: Minnesota (4th), Wisconsin (12th), Illinois (19th), Ohio (24th) and Indiana (28th).
The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book uses 16 indicators to rank all 50 states across four domains—health, education, economic well-being, and family and community—that represent what children need most to thrive. In the 2017 Data Book, Michigan received the following national rankings:
- 31st in economic well-being. On par with the national average, 7 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds are not attending school or working.
- 41st in education. Seventy-one percent of eighth-graders are performing below proficiency in math and 71 percent of fourth-graders are reading below proficiency.
- 29th in family and community. Since 2009, the percentage of children living in high-poverty areas has remained unchanged at 17 percent.
- 17th in health. A bright spot for Michigan is the percentage of children with health insurance. Thanks in part to the Affordable Care Act and the Healthy Michigan Plan, just 3 percent of Michigan children lack coverage, an improvement on the national average of 5 percent.
The Enhancing Child Well-Being in Michigan report builds on these rankings and quantifies how much Michigan would need to improve—and how many kids would need to be better served—to move Michigan’s national ranking up one or more spots, five or more spots, and what it would take for Michigan to be the No. 1 state (best) in the nation.
The report’s recommendations include broad strategies that should be applied to all policies affecting kids, like taking a two-generation approach to help children by helping their parents and applying a racial equity lens to all policies to reduce the significant disparities that exist in Michigan. It also urges the passage of legislation currently before the Legislature that could have an immediate impact, like raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction and restoring the state Earned Income Tax Credit. And finally, it recognizes positive, bipartisan movement that has already been made to help kids, like increased funding for students and schools with high rates of poverty and investments in child care in the current budget, and urges it to continue.
“This report covers all the policy bases and offers legislators a variety of helpful and realistic recommendations to make Michigan a more kid- and family-friendly state,” Guevara Warren said. “Lawmakers are always pointing to other states’ tax changes, economic incentives and even ad campaigns to try to emulate policies to make Michigan more marketable, but we really need greater investment in our state’s most valuable resource—our kids.”
Another recent national KIDS COUNT report produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2017 Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children, looked at the KIDS COUNT indicators and child well-being by race and ethnicity. The report’s scores showed that African-American children in Michigan fare worse in key indicators than in any other state in the country and that children of color are doing worse than their White peers in nearly all indicators across education, health, family and community, and economic security. The Enhancing Child Well-Being in Michigan report also seeks to reduce these wide racial disparities and help make Michigan a better state for kids of color.
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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, Frey 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, Battle Creek Community Foundation and the Fetzer Institute.
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.
