By Rick Nathanson, Albuquerque Journal
Jan. 19, 2022
Public policies that helped to improve child and family well-being in New Mexico have been undermined by the pandemic, according to the just released New Mexico 2021 Kids Count Data Book.
The pandemic “has led to increased childhood food insecurity, greater numbers of children enrolled in Medicaid, and significantly higher numbers of chronically absent students,” said Emily Wildau, the Kids Count coordinator for New Mexico Voices for Children, which publishes the annual data book.
The report is released at the beginning of the legislative session each year to provide lawmakers with a synopsis of the ongoing needs of New Mexico children and families. The report tracks child well-being across four domains: economic security, education, health, and family and community. Within those domains, it looks at indicators such as child poverty and food insecurity rates, parental employment and education levels, and teen birth rates.
Read more at the Albuquerque Journal