The latest figures on child well being in Michigan show more families in the state and Kalamazoo County living in poverty. The numbers released Tuesday by the Michigan League for Human Services show that the percentage of children living in poverty jumped from 14% to 23% between 2000 and 2009. The percentage in Kalamazoo County was nearly 21% in 2009.
Officials representing several groups in Kalamazoo County med on Tuesday to discuss the poverty figures and their impact on different aspects of life.
Kalamazoo County Poverty Reduction Initiative Director Jeff Brown says while poverty has gone up for all groups, the most significant increase has been in poverty among children.
Family Health Center President Denise Crawford says about half of all children born in Kalamazoo County last year were born into poverty, according to Medicaid figures.
Kalamazoo Regional Educational Services Agency Superintendent Ron Fuller says all of the county’s school districts have some homeless students. Fuller says students are not ready to learn when they are concerned about getting enough to eat or where they will sleep that night.
Kalamazoo County Health Officer Linda Vail says there are many programs that address immunizations and lead poisoning. But she says there are many troubling statistics on health in Kalamazoo County.
The Director of Western Michigan University’s Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations, Tim Ready, says Census figures show Kalamazoo has a very high rate of poverty, compared to other cities throughout the nation.
All of those participating in the panel discussion agree that public policy changes are needed to focus on the problem of poverty.
