LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — In the last two years, lawmakers focused on investing in children’s health, which took a hit during the pandemic.
Now, there are concerns those resources will be taken away.
With a closer look at the data, some say it proves the resources make a huge difference.
It’s called Kids Count in Michigan, a report about the health and well-being of children conducted each year by the Michigan League for Public Policy.
Officials say the data presented Wednesday proves that these programs work.
“It’s really excellent to see the increases in education making sure that school meals are part of the school year [and] children’s healthcare; mental health,” said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. “It really is the connection of data, information and people’s experiences with the right people in office that are actually going to care about it.”
The study looked at things like health, economic security, family, and education — areas that were affected during the early days of the pandemic.
“We’ve seen some positive growth in Michigan in terms of a reduction in childhood poverty, specifically related to some of the social safety net expansions that took place during COVID,” Stabenow said.
“We also have some concerns in our state. Childcare continues to be a crisis in Michigan, and we want to make sure we have some strong investments in our childcare system in our state,” said Monique Stanton, president and CEO of MLPP.
COVID-relief funds for states provided more than $6 billion dollars K-12 education nationwide.
But there’s no guarantee that money will be available in the years to come, so getting the word out is imperative.
“We know that data is really essential for making sound policy decisions, and that’s why we’ve engaged in this work for many years,” Stanton said.
You can view the Kids Count in Michigan report here.
