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Parker James: Michigan leaders must take action to protect children from lead
Residents of Benton Harbor have forced the country to pay attention to their ongoing fight for clean water. For three years, the majority-Black city of Benton Harbor’s water lead levels have exceeded the legal limit, endangering residents. But a recently filed petition from residents and advocates has ratcheted up attention—and action—from policymakers to adequately address […]
Column: Let’s use data to put kids and families first
Every year, Kids Count in Michigan asks how government policies and budgets can better prioritize what’s most important to us: young people and their families. And these questions have been even more important during the pandemic. As billions of dollars in federal support come into the state and state policymakers consider how to make the […]
Column: How are kids doing in Michigan? Let’s look at the numbers.
For some of us, tracking the COVID-19 pandemic has become a part of daily life. In a small way, peering over the trackers, maps, graphs and charts can help us feel in control — like we know what’s going on around us and around the world. We all cope in different ways. For some, that […]
Column: Help us with this ’10-year challenge’ and #CountAllKids in the 2020 census
A lot can change in a decade — as anyone who has seen the “10-year challenge” on social media knows. Children grow from toddlers to pre-teens, teenagers “glow-up” into twenty-somethings. As kids throughout Michigan grow over the next 10 years, they’ll need schools and libraries to learn, clinics and hospitals to keep them healthy, and […]
Column: Michigan gets called out for having the most Black children living in concentrated poverty
We want every child to thrive in Michigan. A new snapshot from the Annie E. Casey Foundation calls out our state on this goal … but not for praise. Due to a legacy of racial discrimination and oppression that we have yet to address, Michigan was ranked as the worst state in the nation for […]
Column: Michigan must count all kids in 2020 census
It might be hard to believe, but young people will be trickling into school over the coming weeks for a new year with friends. Teachers will once again have their classrooms filled with bright faces, and the challenge to get to know their students starts anew. For most, that process begins with a simple but […]