This Michigan Kids Count data book for 1996 describes the condition of children in each of Michigan's 83 counties. The first section of the report explores the status of the children in five areas of child well-being: (1) Economic Security; (2) Child Health; (3) Child Safety; (4) Teen Transition; and (5) Education. The discussion presents an overview of the findings for the state; how the state rates compare to those of the nation; implications of the findings; recent developments for the state's children in this general area; and an overview of county findings. The second section presents statistical profiles of Michigan and its 83 counties: the profiles feature demographic information, the percentage change in key indicators, and a table of the indicators used to measure child well-being in 1996. Because of the broad variation within counties by school district, selected indicators are presented by school district in the appendix. The report notes that among the child well-being indicators, Michigan received its best ranking--22nd of the 50 states--for its relatively low rate of "idle" teens. The state's worst ranking (41) was for its 28 percent of families with children headed by a single parent. (AA)