WASHINGTON -- Out of work and not in school, a growing number of Michigan kids between the ages of 16 and 19 are losing their chance at becoming successful adults, a report released today suggests.

The annual KIDS COUNT report shows that more Michigan teens were out of school and out of work in 2001 than in 1996, while the number of so-called "disconnected" teens nationally was shrinking. The report was compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national group that focuses on children's issues.

"We can't walk away from young people who aren't making it," said Michele Corey, a spokeswoman for Michigan's Children, a child advocacy group that tracks KIDS COUNT data in Michigan. "We need young people to reach adulthood prepared for economic independence, with the ability to support a family or making the choice not to have one."

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