Better policy for Michigan’s youth starts with better data

The Michigan League for Public Policy's latest Kids Count report finds child food insecurity up nearly 40% since 2019 in 82 of the state's 83 counties, even as fewer children receive Medicaid and WIC benefits.

Academic performance, from third-grade reading to college readiness, has slipped in nearly every county since before the pandemic, while unemployment has risen and median household income has stagnated after inflation.

One bright spot: more toddlers are getting tested for lead, thanks to a new state law requiring testing at 12 and 24 months, and Governor Whitmer's recent budget nudged up per-pupil K-12 spending.

The report warns that federal changes, including altered SNAP eligibility under the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ and disruptions to the Census and American Community Survey, threaten the very data used to track any of this.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.