Oct 27 2023

Heinrich, Fellow Senators Introduce Legislation to Help New Mexico Continue to Provide Free School Meals

2023-10-30T11:32:55-06:00Economic Security News Coverage, Education News Coverage, Health News Coverage, News Coverage|

Rio Rancho Observer--“This year, New Mexico became one of the first states to provide healthy school meals to every student in part by leveraging federal meal reimbursements through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program,” said Emily Wildau, director of New Mexico Kids Count at New Mexico Voices for Children. “But current meal reimbursement rates don’t cover the full cost of school meal programs."

Sep 29 2023

Some States Are Fighting Rising Child Poverty With Tax Credits

2023-10-02T12:26:18-06:00Economic Security News Coverage, Education News Coverage, News Coverage|

Capital & Main--“It was so positive for families in New Mexico,” said Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children. “It helped them pay bills, buy groceries and face the economic challenges of the pandemic. Seeing how much of a difference it made, state lawmakers shifted into gear and passed the credit.”

Sep 29 2023

Child care providers worry about coming loss of federal funds

2023-10-02T11:58:07-06:00Economic Security News Coverage, Education News Coverage, News Coverage|

Santa Fe New Mexican--“Overall, New Mexico has the potential to weather that decrease in federal funding more than other states, but that means the state will really have to step forward in the 2024 legislative session to fill the gap and ensure parents and providers and kids don’t see disruptions in services,” Wallin said.

Sep 16 2023

Our State Must Continue Its Historic Investments In Families And Kids

2023-09-18T13:57:43-06:00Blog Posts, Economic Security Blog, Economic Security News Coverage, Education Blog, Education News Coverage, Health Blog, Health News Coverage, News Coverage, Tax and Budget Blog, Tax and Budget News Coverage|

Rio Rancho Observer--New Mexico’s children deserve every opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. With the critical funding our Legislature appropriated, these programs will reduce childhood poverty and improve educational outcomes for children. They will also expand economic opportunities for families across New Mexico. And we know that kids do better when families have the resources they need.

Aug 29 2023

As Pandemic Funds Expire, Child-Care Centers Struggle to Survive

2023-08-29T13:55:14-06:00Economic Security News Coverage, Education News Coverage, News Coverage|

Wall Street Journal--In New Mexico, voters approved the first constitutional amendment guaranteeing funding for early childhood education last November. While the impending loss of Covid-relief funding wasn’t the reason for the amendment’s success, it did increase urgency around its passage, said Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children.

Aug 18 2023

Study shows $1 billion potential bill for oil and gas clean up without BLM rule change

2023-08-21T16:08:33-06:00Blog Posts, Education Blog, Education News Coverage, Health Blog, Health News Coverage, News Coverage, Tax and Budget Blog, Tax and Budget News Coverage|

KRWG--For far too long, antiquated policies under the current leasing system have left our families on the hook to pay to clean up messes left behind by bankrupt oil and gas companies – messes involving orphaned wells with decaying and leaking infrastructure that can pollute our air and water. This has robbed our communities of tax dollars that could have been put to use improving our children’s classrooms, and our hospitals and roadways.

Jul 21 2023

State finalizes new child care assistance rules

2023-07-21T09:29:09-06:00Economic Security News Coverage, Education News Coverage, News Coverage|

Santa Fe New Mexican--By increasing per-child reimbursement rates and restructuring co-payment schedules, the changes benefit families and providers simultaneously, Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, said in an interview Thursday. “New Mexico really is leading the nation in thinking about how you can address such an important system that’s so critical not just for our kids and our families and our workers, but for our entire economy,” Wallin said.

Jun 17 2023

Why the State’s ranking shouldn’t get you down

2023-06-20T15:48:59-06:00Blog Posts, Economic Security Blog, Economic Security News Coverage, Education Blog, Education News Coverage, Health Blog, Health News Coverage, Kids Count Blog, Kids Count News Coverage, News Coverage|

Las Cruces Sun-News--The fact is, New Mexico has made some extraordinary headway in improving opportunities for kids in recent years. Some of it’s made nationwide headlines. Our investments in child care assistance, voter-approved expansion of early childhood services, and child-focused tax policy improvements all received national accolades.

Jun 15 2023

Report: New Mexico improving, but still ranks at bottom for child well being

2023-06-20T15:39:32-06:00Economic Security News Coverage, Education News Coverage, Health News Coverage, Kids Count News Coverage, News Coverage|

NM Political Report--Wallin said New Mexico Voices for Children would like to see the state “continue to keep up its investments in kids and families.” “The key is we don’t stop now. We continue to look at the long view. We continue to find new areas,” she said, adding that one could be increasing child educator pay.

Jun 14 2023

Worst for child well-being: New Mexico 50th in annual Kids Count report

2023-06-14T15:28:26-06:00Economic Security News Coverage, Education News Coverage, Health News Coverage, Kids Count News Coverage, News Coverage|

Albuquerque Journal--But Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, said the state has launched new programs that may take time to show up in the annual report. The state, she said, dramatically expanded a child care assistance program in mid-2021 — the year much of the data is based on — and voters just last year authorized hefty increases in the funding available for early childhood education and K-12 schools.

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