Over 60 community leaders and service agencies got together Monday to talk about racial disparities and how federal budget cuts could affect Washtenaw County.
Numbers from the Michigan League for Public Policy are mixed. As of 2022, the number of young children living in poverty in the county has improved by 23% compared to pre-pandemic levels. But child food insecurity has doubled.
President and CEO Monique Stanton says the Child Tax Credit will increase by $200, but it will leave out many poor families.
“So, there are 17 million children nationwide and over a half a million kids in Michigan whose families earn too little to qualify for the tax credit.”
Stanton says about 41% of the Michigan state budget is reliant on federal dollars. She says there isn’t enough funding available through state coffers to make up the difference of what’s being cut.
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