January 21, 2025

As child advocates, we strive for long-term, sustainable change and rely on data to understand which policies will most effectively meet the needs of our families. To support Legislators as they evaluate legislation, New Mexico Voices for Children releases the New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book at the beginning of each legislative session. 

This report provides insights into the status and needs of children and families in our state and tracks various indicators across four key areas: economic security, education, health, and family and community. These indicators include issues such as child poverty, food insecurity, parental employment, and teen birth rates. 

This year’s report highlights some positive trends: 

  • The number of children receiving child care assistance grew by 83% since 2021. 
  • The K-12 chronic absenteeism rate improved from 38% in 2022-2023 to 30% in 2023-2024. 
  • Child death rates declined slightly, decreasing from 49.8 per 100,000 children in 2021 to 46.2 per 100,000.
  • New Mexico’s income tax structure became fairer and more progressive in 2024 compared to 2018.

However, not all families and children are thriving.

  • A slightly higher number of children live in households burdened by high housing costs. 
  • The rate of child food insecurity increased in New Mexico and nationally. 
  • Reading and math proficiency levels remained relatively unchanged. 
  • More children were without health insurance in 2023 as disenrollment continued following Medicaid unwinding. 
  • Official poverty rates for children remain stubbornly high. 

Over the past few legislative sessions, New Mexico has made significant investments in children, but it takes time for these investments to show results in the data. It’s also essential to recognize that a single strategy or policy cannot resolve complex issues like child poverty. We must continue our efforts to ensure that all families in New Mexico can afford housing, food, and other necessities.

We will stand with partners and push the state Legislature to pass additional anti-poverty policies this session. Among the initiatives we will advocate for are funding and implementing wage increases and professional pathways for early childhood providers, increasing the state Child Tax Credit for families with children younger than six, passing a statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave program, and enacting Baby Bonds. 

You can read more about the data and see our policy recommendations in our newly released 2024 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book. Click here for the full report.