11/04/2025

MICHIGAN - Michigan’s child poverty rate has climbed to 10-percent, according to a new report – and it suggests that without the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, it would rise to 13-percent. The Annie E. Casey Foundation report – called "Measuring Access to Opportunity in the United States" – says programs like federal food assistance and tax credits have been vital lifelines for families, helping to prevent even deeper hardship across the state. Anne Kuhnen is Kids Count policy director for the Michigan League for Public Policy.

                    0:13  "It certainly shows that with a lot of these policy choices that we have, that can have a real impact on child poverty. Child poverty declines when families have access to the resources that they need."

The report uses what’s known as the Supplemental Poverty Measure, or S-P-M. Advocates say it's a more realistic look at what families actually face. It factors in child care, housing and medical costs, and adjusts for living expenses that vary across the country.