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Michigan children see caregiver's losing jobs during pandemic

Michigan League for Public Policy|2019 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK: MICHIGAN KIDS DEMAND ACTION ON POLICY SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE THEIR WELL-BEING, ADDRESS ONGOING CHALLENGES

A report shows more than half of Michigan households with children lost employment income since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Fall, about 55% percent of households with kids in the state reported having lost employment income. In July, that figure was as high as 66% according to data from the latest Kids Count Report conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Kelsey Perdue is the director of Kids Count for the Michigan League for Public Policy. She says this loss of income had a ripple effect on families, especially families of color.  

“Based on this report and survey results, at least 7% of Michiganders raising children that were surveyed reported being uninsured. So kind of our suspicions and our concerns to see the impacts of coverage because of parental job loss.”

She says today a quarter of Michigan households raising kids said they didn’t get needed medical care because of the COVID-19 crisis.