NM Political Report--“We haven’t done enough and we could be doing way more but [the recent policy changes] do have positive impact. We have to push harder to improve those programs,” Wildau said.

Santa Fe New Mexican--“Far too many families are living in poverty, when we look at the [official poverty measure],” Voices for Children research and policy analyst Emily Wildau said. “But the [official poverty measure] doesn’t actually show us the also very real impact of those programs that do lift many kids and families out of poverty.”

Source NM--“When you look at the supplemental poverty measure, it’s actually measuring the impact of a lot of really strong anti-poverty programs like our tax credits and SNAP programs, and even school lunches are included in that measure. And so it kind of gives us a better sense of basically what a household has in resources,” said Emily Wildau, Senior Research & Policy Analyst/KIDS COUNT Coordinator for New Mexico Voices for Children.

NM Political Report--“We know that poverty is a policy choice,” Uballez said through the release. “Fortunately, our state lawmakers continue to invest in state tax credits and income support programs that lift New Mexican families above the poverty line. We build upon our success by continuing to enact policies that work for our kids and families to improve access to benefits while also exploring new opportunities to build wealth, raise wages, and break generational cycles of poverty.”

KUNM FM--“So, you look at a child tax credit or the earned income tax credit, you look at non-cash benefits like SNAP, those things are having a significant impact on lifting people above the poverty line,” she said.