Michigan kids are making progress when it comes to family life and finances but they are still struggling in school.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2025 Kids Count Data Book ranks the state 33rd in overall child well-being.
Michigan ranks 28th in economic well-being with steady child poverty and job security but rising housing costs and more teens out of school or work. Education ranks lowest at 44th, with increasing numbers of young kids out of school and more fourth and eighth graders struggling in reading and math, while high school graduation rates remain steady.
Anne Kuhnen, Kids Count policy director at the Michigan League for Public Policy, believes a lack of resources plays a key role in why education is taking the biggest hit.
“Whether students are showing up at school ready to learn, whether they have the resources that they need at home, whether that’s healthy meals, a safe bed to sleep in at night, and also just a way to get to school safely,” Kuhnen outlined. “These all have an impact on students educational outcomes.”
Michigan ranks 29th in family and community well-being in the new report, with more kids in stable homes and teen births dropping. Also, fewer children are living in high-poverty areas. The number of uninsured rates held steady and there were slight increases in low birth weight, child deaths and obesity.
Nationwide, there were gains in economic well-being, including a decrease in the number of kids whose parents lacked secure employment.
Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said there is still more work to be done.
“Unfortunately, it’s also true that there are still 11 million children living in poverty in this country,” Boissiere stressed.
Some good news for kids nationwide: The report showed in 2023, only 5% of children were without health insurance, down from 6% in 2019, with coordinated, effective policy credited for the improvements.
