New Mexico Voices For Children
Improving children’s lives through advocacy
The future of our society is in our children’s hands. When all children have the opportunities they need to thrive, we all benefit, so it makes sense to ensure that every child has access to the educational, emotional, health, and economic supports they need to grow up healthy and strong, and to become contributing members of society. We believe that the best way to ensure this is to discover the underlying reasons that some children lack these supports and then to advocate for the public policies that will address the gaps. Learn more about our work to accomplish that here.
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Recent Blog Posts
The Big Beautiful Bill Passed – What We Need From You
Dear Friends, On July 4th, the President signed a devastating reconciliation bill that will hurt millions of Americans, including children and families right here in New Mexico. This bill slashes food assistance, guts health [...]
Federal SNAP Changes Will Mean More Hungry New Mexicans
No one deserves to go hungry, and the vast majority of our friends and neighbors in New Mexico have held this fundamental belief for generations. But despite the proven success of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Congress is seeking cruel cuts to federal funding that will leave many families hungry.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Will Gut Health Care in New Mexico
New Mexico’s children and families deserve affordable, high-quality health care, but instead they face the fear of losing this basic human right. Medicaid, among other essential services like food assistance, is being threatened in the budget bill moving through the U.S. Congress right now. In late May, the House of Representatives voted to pass the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which has ugly and harmful implications for families and communities throughout the U.S. and New Mexico.
Recent News Coverage
Advocacy group talks report ranking New Mexico last for child wellbeing
KOB--The 2025 National Kids Count is in, putting New Mexico at the bottom for child well-being. “A reminder that these numbers are from 2023, so we hadn’t fully implemented our almost universally free childcare and access to pre-K yet in 2023, it was just starting to roll out. That number we expect it to rise in coming years,” she said. Graduation rates are still trending upward, but stats that do raise some eyebrows are math and reading scores.
Report: NM’s child well-being shows mixed momentum
Public News Service--A traditional marker used to measure child well-being in the U.S. shows New Mexico notched both improvements and declines in several areas. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book historically shows New Mexico at or near the bottom of its report, which puts it at 50th in the nation. Emily Wildau, senior research and policy analyst at New Mexico Voices for Children, said it is important to remember the data was collected in 2023, when kids and families were experiencing severe inflation from the pandemic.
Report: New Mexico ranks last in the nation for child well-being, again
Albuquerque Journal--New Mexico has once again been ranked the worst state in the country for child well-being, according to the newest annual Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count data book. Those results reflect a marked lack in progress over the five years since the state received a 2018 landmark ruling that its public education department was violating students’ constitutional rights with the quality of instruction provided — and a subsequent April ruling that it had not done enough to improve.
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