Public News Service--Amber Wallin, deputy director of New Mexico Voices for Children, says it will take sustained investment to undo the damage from a decade of under-funding of programs that serve families."We're seeing big disparities for our children of color,” she states. “And this is really problematic, especially in New Mexico, because 75% of our kids are children of color. But we also think we've made a lot of progress this legislative session in trying to create some opportunities for our kids."

Public News Services--As part of opening day at the 2019 New Mexico Legislature, the state's Voices for Children group will highlight its annual New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book. Deputy Director Amber Wallin said there have been improvements in teen birth rates, increased rates of kids covered by insurance, higher preschool enrollment and reduced child poverty. But the state's dead-last ranking for child well-being reported last summer means lawmakers have more work to do.

Santa Fe New Mexican--A new report on child welfare offers a deeper look at some grim statistics for New Mexico, which fell to last in the nation last year on a key state-by-state assessment of the well-being of children and families. “This is the time to go bold or go home,” says the 2018 New Mexico Kids Count Data Book, scheduled for release Tuesday.

Public News Service--Amber Wallin, deputy director of New Mexico Voices for Children, says the 50-state report shows the national average of young parents is 10 percent, but in New Mexico, it's 16 percent. "Those young people are facing the same challenges that all young people are facing, things like finishing high school or maybe going into college, getting their first jobs, learning how to manage money and increase their earning potential," she points out. Her organization, which includes New Mexico Kids Count, maintains one way to improve outcomes for young parent families is to increase home-visiting programs and coaching for first-time parents.