Albuquerque Journal--The 2017 Kids Count Data Book, which annually measures each state’s child and family well-being according to an index of key factors, gives New Mexico an overall ranking of 49th out of 50 states, unchanged from last year’s Data Book. There are, however, a few areas that have improved – though not by much.
Associated Press--Three Southwestern states are ranked near the bottom when it comes to child well-being, with New Mexico leading the way among its neighbors. The annual Kids Count report released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks New Mexico 49th, ahead of only Mississippi. Louisiana, Nevada and Arizona fill in the rest of the bottom five.
Las Cruces Sun-News--New Mexico ranks 49th in a yearly report, released Tuesday, that looks at overall child well-being. But there have been strides within some indicators. It's the fourth year in a row the state has ranked next-to-last, just in front of Mississippi. New Hampshire scored the best overall ranking in 2017. The 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book looks at 16 indicators of child well-being across four broad categories.
Carlsbad Current-Argus--Now that the 2016-2017 school year is over, Carlsbad students will have the opportunity to take on a state-wide summer reading challenge. The 2017 New Mexico True Summer Reading Challenge encourages students between the ages 5-12 to read various books and document them in a reading log to be sent to the New Mexico Public Education Department.
Santa Fe New Mexican--A new report on the well-being of children in New Mexico has found that some key policy changes — such as expanding access to child care assistance, increasing investments in early childhood programs, enacting a higher statewide minimum wage and overhauling the tax system — could significantly lift the state from its status as one of the worst places in the nation to raise a kid.
Las Cruces Sun-News--Nearly 40 percent of children in Doña Ana County live in poverty and more than 70 percent of children are not enrolled in early education programs. This is according to the annual New Mexico Kids Count Data Book released last Tuesday, the first day of the 2017 legislative session.
Weekly Alibi--The annual Kids Count Data Book was released by New Mexico Voices for Children last week. The report found improvement in the area of children's health, but state poverty levels continue to negatively impact the children in our community.
Albuquerque Business First--Looking to relocate your family or business, or both? You might want to pause and consider what the folks at WalletHub have to say on the matter. The District of Columbia-based research firm has taken a crack at ranking the U.S. states for alignment with the economic and social metrics that families consider when identifying where to put down roots.
Alamogordo Daily News--WalletHub, a personal finance website that analyzes state and city indicators, announced its rankings Wednesday of the best and worst states to raise a family. New Mexico ranked 51st in the analysis, which looked at 40 indicators in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Public News Service--Children in New Mexico struggle against endemic poverty, but there are some positive signs, according to the Kids Count 2016 Databook being released today. The report says 141,000 New Mexico children live in poverty. That is 29 percent of kids statewide, a figure that has gotten worse since 2008. It also shows that, in one-third of families, neither parent has secure, full-time year-round work.