This is the second entry in the Families in Neighborhoods blog series. The series offers commentaries that explore efforts underway in Detroit, to reimagine neighborhoods as places of opportunity for children and families.

In recent years, policymakers in Detroit and across Michigan have sought to develop strategies to deter people from moving away and attract new residents to the state. They’ve tried many approaches – from creating more jobs, retraining residents on demand positions and improving school workforce programs. As we think about how neighborhoods can help children and families succeed, we must consider how family-centered public policies can be a catalyst and driver for not only population growth but also support residents and families to thrive in their communities.

The Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) has long been a leader in researching policies that create economic opportunity and mobility for Michigan’s residents. The organization’s work shows how different public policies can help address the needs of Michigan’s children and families, including better tax policies for families, fair workplace rules, and health and social services that support children and their families. In this Families in Neighborhoods blog, we highlight how MLPP and its partners are working to ensure that Michigan — and Detroit — can be one of the best places to raise children.

Q: Why is family-centered public policy crucial to keeping and growing Michigan’s population? What evidence supports this?

A: We have long said that our state’s greatest asset is its people, but back in 2023 we learned that Michigan grew slower than all but one state from 2000 to 2020 and was on a path to continue to grow slower than the rest of the country. Family-friendly policies are key to solving this problem.

These policies will not only help Michigan compete with other states but ensure that all current and prospective Michigan families have what they need to thrive and put down roots here.

A comprehensive 2023 report published by the Citizens Research Council and Altarum cites a number of family-centered priorities, including creating more high-wage jobs that will help in establishing an adequate standard of living for families. The Growing Michigan Together Council’s report also highlights several family-centered policy needs, including addressing Michigan’s insufficient child-care system, creating a more immigrant-inclusive economy for immigrant families, and addressing the scarce housing supply for families with middle and low incomes.

Right now, when our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities are coming under malicious and direct attacks by the federal administration, Michigan needs to focus on supporting and welcoming these individuals and families.

Q: What are some examples of these kinds of policies? What are MLPP and its partners doing to advance these efforts?

A: Creating a state Child Tax Credit, making child care more affordable and accessible in Michigan, and ensuring all Michigan families can meet basic needs like housing, health care, and food are all critical. A well-designed state Child Tax Credit that focuses on fairness above all else would help many Michigan kids. Currently, 1 in 4 kids don’t get the full federal credit because their families earn too little.

Supporting immigrant families through state budget and policy solutions is also essential. This should include expanding the state Earned Income Tax Credit to immigrant workers who pay into our country’s funds like Social Security and Medicare, but file their taxes with an Individual Tax Identification Number instead of a Social Security Number.

Besides advocating for these priorities at the state level, we ‘re also fighting against federal threats to essential programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. We and our partners across the state (and country) are working hard to protect the millions of Michiganders — including families — who rely on these critical programs for their healthcare and food

Q: We don’t often connect tax policy with the wellbeing of children. Can you explain why this is such an important issue for socioeconomic mobility for children and families?

A: There is a strong connection between family-friendly tax policies and children’s wellbeing. For instance, the state’s historic Earned Income Tax Credit from 6% to 30% of the federal credit has helped hundreds of thousands of families, including an estimated 1 million children, in every county in Michigan to make ends meet for their respective households. Adopting a state-level Child Tax Credit and fixing our state’s inequitable income tax structure would build on that momentum and ensure that families, especially those with low incomes, have the economic security they need to ensure their kids grow up healthy and strong. Strong tax policies that make sure the highest earners pay their fair share are also critical to ensuring there is sufficient revenue to adequately fund programs and services that support families and children, such as SNAP, Medicaid and schools.

Q: What about the workplace? What are some barriers to upward mobility for people with children, and what are some policy solutions to promote more equitable access to the workforce?

A: Child care access and affordability is one of the biggest obstacles for working parents, especially for women, who disproportionately serve as the primary caregivers for children. Michigan needs to continue to build on the state’s child care scholarship program to increase access and lower costs for parents, while also increasing the number of participating child care providers in our state.

Michigan also needs a paid family and medical leave program that allows workers to take the time off that they need to care for themselves or loved ones during times of serious illness or injury, or when welcoming a new child into their home. The benefits of having a statewide paid leave program are innumerable.

Q: As we think about what can be done at the local level – even at the neighborhood level – how can we think about our place-based approaches that best serve the needs of children and families?

A: Talking with communities and looking at local data are both essential to creating place-based approaches that meet the needs of families and children. At the Michigan League for Public Policy, we have an amazing Community Engagement team that interacts daily with local communities to determine their unique needs, and our Kids Count in Michigan county profiles and local Census data are also great resources in learning more about how to best support the children and families in our local Michigan communities.

Jonathan Hui is a senior program officer supporting Kresge’s Detroit Program and Monique Stanton is president & CEO of Michigan League for Public Policy.

Learn more about the Families in Neighborhoods series:

• Introducing ‘Families in Neighborhoods’: A new series focused on family-centered neighborhoods in Detroit
• Mobility trends of families with children and the role of public schools in Detroit’s neighborhoods
• Helping children thrive: Community of practice links local programs supporting kids and families from birth to career