The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Locations
Michigan

Statistics on children, youth and families in Michigan from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Michigan League for Public Policy

Location

Choose location type
  • Choose locations
  • Choose locations
Choose location comparison

  • Choose time frames
    To view all years at one time, download raw data.
Choose data types
Michigan League for Public Policy

Change Indicator

Children ages birth to 17 in investigated families in Michigan

  • Detailed
  • Sort / Rank
loading...

Definition and Source

PROVIDER

Definition

These numbers reflect a count of children in families where an investigation of alleged child abuse or neglect occurred. Families may be investigated more than once in a given year and their children would be counted each time. The rate is per 1,000 children ages birth to 17. Rates are suppressed with an "S" for counts fewer than 6.

Data Source

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Protective Services.

Population estimates are from the Census Bureau.

Notes

Michigan saw a decline in out-of-home placement, investigations, and confirmed reports of abuse and neglect during the pandemic. We believe this to be a result of underreporting as opposed to a true reduction in child abuse and neglect. With kids engaged in remote schooling and families skipping medical check-ups, children may have lost valuable opportunities to interact with mandated reporters, meaning some instances of abuse and neglect may have never been reported or investigated. 

The numbers for Wexford and Missaukee are combined for 1998-2009. Grand Traverse and Leelanau are combined for 2003-09. Mecosta and Osceola are combined for 2001-07.

Data for 2008 were found to be unreliable and have been removed.

Data for 2010-2012, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Missaukee and Wexford counties were revised on 3/19/20.

City-level data prior to 2021 were found to be unreliable due to discrepancies within city population counts and have been removed.

Last Updated

April 2025