What’s not reflected in the data book is “great policy progress in the past few years that put kids first,” she said, noting a number of legislative changes made from 2019 forward. “Among them are the new child tax credit, the doubling of the tax credit for working families with kids and the expansion of child care systems to most every kid in New Mexico,” she said.
New Mexico is ranked last in child well-being by the national 2022 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that analyzes how children and families are faring. New Mexico has seen consistent improvements over time in most indicators, however, those improvements are outweighed by the hardship felt by families in 2020 due to the pandemic.
State Data Sheet The national 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, assesses and ranks the 50 states on 16 indicators of child well-being, which are categorized into four domains - economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. New Mexico placed 50th in 2022. (State-level data on indicators of child well-being)
Report Given that so many youth within the state’s juvenile system have faced multiple adverse childhood experiences, any effective rehabilitation efforts must address their long-term impacts. This report looks at how informal diversion programs based on the arts can help youth dealing with ACEs and save the state money. (State-level data on the juvenile system.)
Advocates note that many people exposed to trauma recover, particularly if they have attentive families and strong support systems. “Children are really resilient,” said Amber Wallin, executive director of the advocacy organization New Mexico Voices for Children, particularly if they are only exposed to one or two ACEs. But if trauma accumulates beyond that, she said, the challenges become more difficult to overcome — “and that’s where New Mexico fares really poorly.”
“Literacy and poverty are closely tied together, and they can reinforce each other through generations,” said Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children. “If a child is living in poverty and facing difficult financial challenges, then one of the things that could come along with that is that their parents may have less time to work with them at home on reading and homework, particularly if the parents are working two jobs.”
“This type of relief is really crucial right now,” says Amber Wallin, executive director of the nonpartisan advocacy group New Mexico Voices for Children. She anticipates the money will be especially significant for women, families with children, and people of color who have been particularly affected by recent economic challenges, including the pandemic and the highest inflation in decades.
New Mexico is not like any other state. Our people, our traditions and our communities are unique. This November, voters have the opportunity to approve a ballot question that would bring data driven, transformational change to our state to level the playing field for hardworking New Mexico families, giving all of our kids, regardless of family income, a fair opportunity to thrive.
Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, called the move “a game-changing” development for many New Mexico mothers. “This provides guaranteed, essential services for mothers during a crucial period” in their lives, Wallin said in an interview. “Maternal mortality is a major issue across the nation.” Wallin said many mothers continue to recover physically beyond two months after birth. Also, she said, postpartum depression and anxiety are underestimated problems that affect 1 in 4 mothers.
Fact Sheet Our state’s policy makers made a number of improvements to the tax code since 2019 that will help low- and middle-income New Mexicans, improve equity, and increase economic opportunity for our working families. (State-level data on how recent tax changes will benefit families)