Michigan ranks 34th in the country when it comes to overall child well being. That’s according to the 2024 Kids Count Data book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Kids Count Policy Director Anne Kuhnen says Michigan is in the bottom ten states for education for the second year in a row.
“We’re not doing enough to ensure that kids are arriving at school really equipped to learn,” Kuhnenn said. “Children’s academic success depends on a lot more than what happens inside the classroom. So, this report looks at some of the trends in, for example, chronic absenteeism, where 40% of children in Michigan are chronically absent.”
Kuhnen says they recommend more funding for education. She says if we don’t get this right, Michigan’s economy will suffer.
Some good news from the report is it found Michigan is doing well when it comes to kids health and family and community factors.