Children & Families
About 1 in 5 children in Michigan live in poverty. Bridge will explore the reasons behind this disturbing result and the ideas to address it.
Articles
Are teen prison rapes a violation of civil rights? A Michigan court is about to decide.
More than 900 juvenile prisoners have filed suit claiming they were harmed, some of them sexually, while being housed with adult inmates. Their case might never make it to a jury.
Detroit demo blitz linked to rising lead levels in children
(With map) City’s former health leader charges that officials considered health concerns a ‘nuisance,’ and focused solely on tearing down blighted homes fast.
It’s not just Flint: Michigan lead levels up after long decline
(With new statewide lead map) ‘It’s really unknown why,’ Michigan’s chief medical officer tells Bridge.
Michigan seniors learn they CAN lose their home on a reverse mortgage
For older residents who don’t read the fine print, a reverse mortgage can hold unpleasant surprises.
Reverse mortgage 101. Know the risks.
Reverse mortgages can be a financial lifeline for seniors on the budget. But slick promotions have often hidden the risks. Bridge explains the basics.
Daniel Caracheo: He was in chemistry class when his world collapsed
Meet Daniel Caracheo, one of more than 6,000 Michigan "dreamers."
Monserrat Velazquez: She canceled her flight to Mexico when DACA was announced
Meet Monserrat Velazquez, one of more than 6,000 Michigan "dreamers."
Juan Palacios: ‘We are not stealing these jobs’
Meet Juan Palacios, one of more than 6,000 Michigan "dreamers."
Juan Paulos Palacios: Whatever happens, he’s grateful for time in USA
Meet Juan Paulos Palacios, one of more than 6,000 Michigan "dreamers."
Michigan's dreamers: Denis Martinez: ‘Sometimes, I feel like America doesn’t want me.’
Meet Denis Martinez, one of more than 6,000 Michigan "dreamers."
Michigan ‘Dreamers’ feel whipsawed by Trump’s waffling on DACA (slideshow)
The stories of young immigrants in one Michigan community
Northern Michigan’s 'Disability Belt' now rivals the Deep South and Appalachia
Rural counties across a band of northern Michigan have disability rates up to 18 percent, with little hope these former workers will return to jobs. Experts are trying to reverse the trend.
Interactive map: See how many are on disability in YOUR community
Across the northern Lower Peninsula, high poverty and unemployment often are accompanied by high rates of residents receiving disability checks.
In Detroit, only a mighty few can open new charter schools
The NAACP urges a moratorium on new charter schools. A new law, though, already limits their growth in Detroit.
Abused as a small boy. Now what?
A new statewide program aims to intervene with children exposed to drugs or violence to help them become healthy, capable adults
A Mexican immigrant’s past was no big deal in California. But deportable once he moved to Michigan.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday on whether the man, convicted of having sex with his underage girlfriend, should be allowed back into the U.S.
Soaring pneumonia deaths in Genesee County likely linked to undiagnosed Legionnaires’, experts say
Pneumonia was blamed for 177 deaths over two years. Experts say Legionnaires’ was likely the culprit in some of the deaths, but patients were never tested. The county is now requiring such testing.
Revision to ‘Kevin’s Law’ means quicker treatment for the mentally ill
With about 300,000 Michigan adults with serious mental illness, the changes allow judges to order outpatient treatment more quickly, before a crisis
At 17, living in a tent by the river
Homeless off and on since he was 17, he’s slept in a van, stayed with relatives, in shelters, in abandoned buildings, and lately, in a tent in several spots along the Grand River.
Homeless student, meet volunteer family. Now, graduate.
An innovative program in Lenawee County has drawn national attention for getting every last homeless student through high school, with most advancing to post-secondary programs.