By Leah Romero, Las Cruces Sun-News
Feb. 6, 2021
LAS CRUCES – The 2020 New Mexico Kids Count Data Book was released this week, revealing overall improvement of child wellbeing in the state before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, southern New Mexico continues to lag behind in child poverty and welfare.
The data book, part of a national effort, was released this month during the 60-day legislative session to give state legislators an idea of where the state is in regard to several indicators of child welfare.
Representatives from New Mexico Voices for Children, an advocacy organization for children and families in the state, emphasized the progress made in several areas before the pandemic hit in March 2020.
Emily Wildau, NM Kids Count coordinator and research and policy analyst, said most of the data released came from 2019, but 11 of 16 indicators of child wellbeing had improved. New Mexico is still 48th in child poverty among U.S. states, but the percentage has continued to decrease in the past three years.
Read more at the Las Cruces Sun-News