ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Child advocates released an analysis of the child care assistance program that they hope will have an impact on how the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) spends an additional $20 million in federal funding. The new funding will come through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which was recently increased by Congress. As CYFD begins its public hearings this week on how best to utilize the funds, policy analysts have this recommendation: fix the cliff effect.
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“Less than one year ago, lawmakers were scrambling to pay for basic services like schools, roads, and public safety. New Mexico has become too reliant on the oil and gas industry to fund these services, which has created boom-or-bust cycles for our economy, and therefore, for all New Mexicans. Right now we’re in a boom time, but we mustn’t forget that the bust times may be right around the corner."
New Mexico Voices for Children has released a children’s agenda of policy recommendations they hope candidates for state- and national-level offices will adopt. The agenda, “Kids at the Crossroads: A Children’s Agenda for Making KIDS COUNT with Candidates,” contains 30 policy recommendations spanning three categories: economic well-being, education, and health. The group hopes that the agenda will spur candidates to will make concrete plans for improving child well-being.
“As with many social ills, the best solution is prevention,” said James Jimenez, Executive Director of NM Voices. “Prevention is generally more effective and less expensive than remediation, and prevents all number of public health and safety problems down the line. One of the state-supported services that can prevent ACEs is voluntary home visiting.”
SANTA FE, NM—Several indicators of child well-being are showing improvement in New Mexico, but a persistently high rate of children living in poverty continues to cast a pall over the state. That is the overall conclusion in the 2017 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book, released today by New Mexico Voices for Children to coincide with the start of the legislative session.
“We are pleased with the funding levels for Medicaid and child care assistance in the both of the recently released budget requests. These two programs are not only critical for the well-being of New Mexico’s children and hard-working families, but they are also important to the state’s economy.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Amber Wallin, who has been with New Mexico Voices for Children since 2012, has been promoted to deputy director of the child advocacy organization. She’ll be serving directly under the executive director James Jimenez and helping to oversee the group’s research, analysis, and advocacy work.
“Amber is known around here colloquially as a ‘rock star,’” said Jimenez.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM — New Mexico’s children — in all racial and ethnic groups except African American — lag behind their demographic cohorts across the nation when it comes to meeting key milestones that will help them achieve their unique potential. That’s according to data in the 2017 Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children report, released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The just-released Trump tax plan would largely benefit those who earn the most money, with 72 percent of the tax cuts going to the top 20 percent of New Mexico’s taxpayers. In addition, the tax cuts would impact how much tax revenue New Mexico collects, further reducing the amount of money the state has to invest in education, health care, and public safety.
All our state’s children, no matter where they were born, deserve the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. When every individual is able to reach their full potential, we all reap the benefits of a stronger more forward society. The investments we make today in our children are investments in our collective future.
