Michigan takes a lot of pride in its nickname as the “comeback” state. And after taking a beating during the Great Recession, Michigan is indeed on the upswing. Forecasts say the state should continue to see economic growth and improvements to the unemployment rate in the next two years. But not everyone is feeling the impact of that recovery yet. Among those left behind are the nearly 550,000 Michigan children living in poverty.That number comes from the latest Kids Count Survey data, which measures child well-being in Michigan and across the country.
Current State talks about the newest Kids Count report and how the state could improve outcomes for children with Jane Zehnder-Merrell, project director of Kids Count for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and the Executive Director of Michigan’s Children, Matt Gillard.