By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI – There has been an increase in child abuse and neglect cases in the state, as well as increase in children living in poverty. That's according to an annual report published by the Michigan League for Human Services.
Jane Zehnder-Merrell works on the annual Kids Count report. She says the Legislature needs to stop making cuts to important programs in the state budget that help kids.
"I think that's sort of the trouble with term limits - that the legislators who are coming to town may not realize that we've already cut billion, literally billions, out of the state budget, many compromising programs that serve families and children," Zehnder-Merrell says.
Zehnder-Merrell says there are some bright spots in the Kids Count report, including a decline in high school dropout rates and teen births.