New Data Shows More Michigan Children Falling into Poverty
Each year The Michigan League for Human Services and Michigan’s Children produce a book documenting the state of child well being in Michigan. It shows basic information such as infant mortality rates, poverty and educational achievement among other measures. This year’s book, Kids Count in Michigan Data Book 2010: The Education Connection, continues to document the slide of Michigan’s children.
According to the executive summary, “Child poverty ($21,800 for a family of four) encompassed more and more children in Michigan between 2000 and 2009 and by 2009 engulfed over a quarter (27%) of young children in the state and one-fifth of all children. Economic insecurity persists well above the poverty threshold; most researchers have agreed that families with income less than double the poverty level ($43,500 for a family of four) still struggle to meet basic needs. Children living in economically insecure families have lower achievement levels and higher dropout rates than children in higher-income families. Many of the state’s lifeline programs that help families weather economic downturns have been cut back or eliminated over the past 15 years.”
For further information go to http://www.milhs.org/kids-count/mi-data-book-2010.
For Pontiac data: http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/bystate/stateprofile.aspx?state=MI&loc=3720
For Oakland County data: http://www.milhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/OaklandTr2010.pdf
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