For the first time, the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Book is doing more than ranking states. This year’s report assigned Michigan a child well-being score of 527 out of 1,000, placing it 34th nationally.
The state ranked 21st in child health but education remains a challenge, with Michigan ranking 42nd.
Anne Kuhnen, Kids Count director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, said the new scoring system offers a better way to track progress.
“It takes the regular categories that we normally look at, in addition to providing a ranking of how we’re doing compared to other states,” Kuhnen explained.
Michigan is among the bottom five states for fourth grade reading proficiency. The report also found three in four eighth graders aren’t proficient in math. Kuhnen says policymakers are aware of the state’s literacy crisis, and the report is intended to help leaders identify which investments are improving outcomes for children.
Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said the new scoring system is designed to help with that.
“We encourage all policymakers to look at the data on children in their states, to look at the policies and programs that historically data and evidence show improve the well-being of kids, and to invest in those policies and programs,” Boissiere urged.
Boissiere pointed out years of data show certain policies and programs work, including SNAP and child tax credits. Kuhnen emphasized health continues to shine for Michigan children.
“Health has long been a bright spot in our child well-being rankings,” Kuhnen underscored. “Just 4% of children statewide are uninsured.”
Health advocates credit policies such as Medicaid expansion for making health one of Michigan’s strongest-performing areas for Michiganders. The report also found teen births in the state declined by a third over the past five years.
Source: Public News Service
