A profile of each Michigan county
Improving the health and well-being of children and their families requires an understanding of the circumstances and environment in which they live. Each year, the Michigan League for Public Policy compiles the Kids Count in Michigan Data Book to help facilitate this understanding.
The data book combines information from many different sources to produce a profile of each Michigan county with indicators related to family income and employment, child care and family support, the health of babies and children, child abuse and neglect, the health and well-being of youth, and education.
According to the report, which was released today, Clinton County again performed very well, ranking 3 out of 82 Michigan counties, trailing behind Livingston and Ottawa counties.
Clinton County continues to be a healthy place to live and raise a family, and has improved in several key areas. The County has seen decreases in the number of teen births and in the number of children with elevated levels of lead in their blood. Immunization rates have also improved.
While Clinton County ranked high overall, there are a few areas that should be monitored:
· The number of mothers who smoked during pregnancy (17.4%) went up, but is still lower than the State average of 20.2%.
· The high school graduation rate (87.4%) has gotten worse, but is still better than the State average of 78.8%.
· The number of mothers receiving less than adequate prenatal care (23.6%) rose, but is still lower than the State average of 29.4%.
· The number of children ages 0-17 in investigated families went up slightly.
This report gives public health and policy makers a clearer picture of what the needs are in their communities, and where they should focus their efforts to improve the lives of children and their families.
Kids Count is part of a broad national effort to measure the well-being of children at the state and local levels, and use that information to shape efforts to improve the lives of children. For more information, visit www.mlpp.org/kids-count.