Executive Summary -- The early years of a child’s life provide the physical and emotional framework that shapes individual potential. Research has documented the profound effect of a child’s physical and social environment on the pace and scope of this development. Experiences in the early childhood years establish intelligence, behavioral patterns, and personality traits that will persist throughout a lifetime. These experiences take place in the context of family and community life shaped by economic and social conditions. The economic downturn and stark disparities for minorities in Michigan threaten the well-being of large numbers of young children and their families.

The Status of Young Children in Michigan

Click on County Name for Two-Page Profile

Detroit - Out-Wayne - Upper Peninsula

Annual and three-year rolling averages for Michigan and its counties for most of the trend indicators in this book are available in an interactive data base. Click Here.

Kids Count in Michigan Data Book 2008. Experiences in the early childhood years establish intelligence, behavioral patterns, and other personality traits that will persist throughout a lifetime. This year the Michigan report focuses on the status of young children in Michigan and its counties and the city of Detroit. Order Form

Child Care Cost vs. Minimum Wage

Michigan’s continuing economic woes are spilling over into the lives of the state’s youngest residents with nearly one out of every four young children (under age 5)living in poverty. That means that for a family of four, income is no more than about $21,000. Two out of every five young children live in low-income households, defined as income under $42,000 for a family of four. Press Release