New Mexico again ranks at the bottom for child wellbeing
NM Political Report--“Although there’s still work to do, New Mexico’s official child poverty rate continues to improve but change takes time,” said Gabrielle Uballez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children said. “And this measure of poverty only considers income. When we look instead at the supplemental poverty measure, which measures the impact of some of our best poverty-fighting policies, we see that New Mexico’s investments in families through refundable tax credits and income support programs have a real impact on lowering poverty rates and supporting family well-being.”
Report: State retains last spot in child welfare, despite dip in child poverty rate
Santa Fe New Mexican--“New Mexico’s ranking is not a reflection of who we are, but serves as a motivation to continue improving the systems in New Mexico that make it possible for kids and families to thrive,” said Gabrielle Uballez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children.
National KIDS COUNT Data Book Shows Improvement in New Mexico Child Poverty
New Mexico has made improvements in lowering child poverty over the past decade, according to the national 2024 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state annual report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Data Book, which analyzes how children and families are faring, was released today by the Baltimore, MD-based foundation. This year, the Data Book also includes information on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and chronic absences.
Student op-ed on taxes misses the big picture
New Mexico has already been lowering tax rates for the vast majority of its residents over the past several years. Increased and improved tax credits have returned hundreds of millions of dollars to families over the past few years alone. The state has also lowered the gross receipts tax rate, which benefits us all, including small businesses. And just this past session, lawmakers lowered personal income tax rates for everyone.
New Mexico experimented with a basic income program that gave $500 a month to immigrant families. They used the money to pay rent and secure jobs.
Business Insider--"People use the money to feed themselves and to keep a roof over their head," Javier Rojo, senior research and policy analyst with New Mexico Voices for Children and author of the pilot report, told BI. "They use it very wisely to put themselves in a better position economically in the future."
Ideas We Should Steal: Free Childcare For Women’s Health
The Philadelphia Citizen--Advocates say policies like those also help reduce family stress by alleviating parents’ need to scramble for care from family or friends while they are at work. “Families are not dealing with the chronic stress that comes from that uncertainty or financial instability; [it] really results in better health outcomes,” says Jacob Vigil, deputy policy director with New Mexico Voices for Children.