The possibility of encountering immigration officials can have a chilling effect on immigrant and mixed-status families, leading many families to avoid public spaces and services, miss critical pediatric appointments or delay or forgo necessary treatment as they fear the presence of immigration officers at or near health care facilities.
The reach and impact of the many investments New Mexico’s leaders have made to support immigrant communities, families and children are threatened by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) final “public charge” regulation, which went into effect Friday, Sept. 18.
New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau earlier this week showed the significant impact that public policies can have on child poverty, including in New Mexico, where tax credits and income support programs reduce the number of children experiencing poverty by nearly half.
The U.S. Census Bureau released new 2025 data from the Current Population Survey on September 15, which includes a comparison of the most recent Official Poverty Measure (OPM) and the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The data primarily represent national poverty levels, but state-level data for 2023-2025 are also released in supplemental tables.
KUNM--New Mexico has made some major investments aimed at improving the lives of kids around the state. Just this year the legislature passed and the governor signed into law free universal childcare, which came a year after creating a trust fund specifically dedicated to early childhood. But a new report from New Mexico Voices for Children takes a deeper look at whether or not any of those are actually making a difference on a day-to-day level.
Newsroom of Sen. Martin Heinrich--Heinrich began the day participating in a roundtable event hosted in partnership with New Mexico Voices for Children and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, along with representatives from the UNM School of Medicine, Changing Women Initiative, Future Focused Education, and Breath of My Heart, to discuss New Mexico Voices for Children’s Roadmap Report and policy solutions to improve the well-being of children and families in New Mexico.
The Paper.--The challenges facing New Mexico children took center stage as U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich met with children’s advocates to discuss education, health care and financial stability. The numbers show why: A single parent raising one child needs nearly $68,000 a year to cover basic costs, and 1 in 4 New Mexico children lives in poverty, according to a New Mexico Voices for Children report used to frame the discussion.
The Santa Fe New Mexican--New Mexico has taken big steps forward in improving families’ access to childcare in recent years, a report released by nonprofit New Mexico Voices for Children this summer found. But the services have not yet made their way to all its families.
Following highly successful community conversations at Children’s Roadshow events in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and online, New Mexico Voices for Children (NM Voices) is building on that momentum this fall by bringing the conversation to communities across the state.
As New Mexico prepares for the roll out of federally-required Medicaid work reporting requirements, another significant change is looming that stands to decimate the funding system that prevents primary care providers, hospitals, and other providers from closing their doors and worsening access to care for our families.