Michigan is facing a nearly unprecedented fiscal crisis, the result of more than a decade of job losses, continued erosion of the state's economy, and the failure by policymakers to tailor the state's tax system to new economic realities. As Michigan's fiscal crisis has deepened, the state's reliance on federal funds for basic services for children and families has grown.

To address the national recession, in February of 2009, Congress passed a massive economic recovery bill (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or ARRA) to help stimulate the economy and mitigate the effect of the current recession on state and local programs. While the ARRA funds are critically needed in Michigan, according to the Citizen's Research Council, in Michigan, ARRA funds will not be sufficient to prevent deep cuts in spending, and will not be available long enough to see the state through its current economic problems. The ARRA requires states-as a condition of receiving federal funds-to not make cuts in certain areas, including K-12 and higher education payments, so those portions of the state budget that were not protected by the ARRA were particularly vulnerable. As a result, more than half of the cuts were made in the budgets of the Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Community Health (DCH), and prevention services were deeply affected.

For more information on Michigan's budget crisis and it's impact on children and families, click here.

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On June 24, 2009, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan released a comprehensive report entitled "Reclaiming Michigan's Throwaway Kids: Students Trapped in the School-to-Prison Pipeline," which documents a trend amongst school districts to enforce severe disciplinary policies and practices that push children permanently out of the classroom without regard for the long-term impact. The school-to- prison pipeline refers to the national trend of criminalizing, rather than educating, our children. To access the full report, click here.

Michigan's Children President & CEO Jack Kresnak issued a public statement on June 24, 2009 in response to the release of the ACLU Report, Michigan's Throwaway Kids - A Journey from Public School to Prison. Read his statement here.

Student absences jeopardize student and school success. Excessive school absence equates with poorer achievement, mediocre self-esteem, lower promotion and graduation rates and lesser employment potential. Excessive school absence is also related to juvenile delinquency. There is a clear need for greater attention to prevention and intervening as early as feasible after attendance problems are noted.

For information on what Michigan is doing to address school truancy, click here.

Julie L. Novak, Executive Director of the Michigan State Medical Society and Chrstopher M. Trebilcock, a labor and employment attorney with the law firm of Miller Canfield have recently joined Michigan's Children's Boad of Directors. For more information about our new board members, click here.