COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The latest Kids Count report shows Michigan 31st overall when it comes to child well being. That’s part of a mixed bag for the state as it was ranked 14th from the top in healthcare for children but 28th for economic well being.
Project Director Alicia Guevara Warren says Michigan has fallen to 40th place among the states when it comes to education, because too many kids aren’t getting the head start they need.
She says it’s not just the fault of educators, larger issues are leaving children unprepared to be educated.
The report shows Branch County was 52nd in the state for child well being based on 2014 figures. Branch County had a higher percentage than the state in the number of children in poverty and students eligible for free or reduce priced school lunches.
Births to Branch County teen age girls between 15 and 19 dropped by almost 14 percent when compared to 2006 figures but the number of children who are victims of abuse or neglect jumped from 24 percent in 2006 to 33 percent in 2014.
