Editorial, Rio Rancho Observer
July 8, 2019
RIO RANCHO, N.M. — Regardless of your political leaning and early impressions of new Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the well-being of the state’s children should encompass both sides of the proverbial aisle.
In case you missed it, the national Kids Count Data Book revealed New Mexico is ranked 50th in the nation for child well-being.
In other categories, when New Mexico wasn’t 50th, it ranked 48th or 49th: The state was 50th in education, 50th in the family and community domain, but 49th in economic security and 48th in health.
There were a few bright spots in the data, among them the child poverty rate dropping slightly from 30 percent in 2018 to 27 percent in this year’s report. And the teen birth rate improved to 28 births for every 1,000 females ages 15-19 (2017 data) from 60 births per 1,000 female teens (2009 data).
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