Healthy and Safe Communities
Safe and supportive communities build resilient families and a strong state. But our communities, workforce, and economy cannot be healthy when so many New Mexico children and families lack access to a comprehensive and high-quality system of physical and behavioral health, prevention, and wellness resources. And none of us can be healthy and safe until we do a better job of taking care of our natural environment, which includes lessening our collective carbon footprint and protecting our air, land, and water.
Featured Content
Art as an Alternative
Given that so many youth within the state’s juvenile system have faced multiple adverse childhood experiences, any effective rehabilitation efforts must address their long-term impacts. This report looks at how informal diversion programs based on the arts can help youth who are dealing with ACEs heal and reintegrate into their communities while saving the state money.
Health-in-All-Policies for New Mexico
Your state of health is dependent on many variables – including where you live, how much you earn, and even how far you went in school. These are called “social determinants of health” and they not only impact your health but they also impact your ability to choose a healthy lifestyle. Everyone’s health could be improved if lawmakers took these determinants of health into account when creating public policies. This report offers an overview of the determinants of health as well as the policies that can improve health for all.
Ending Childhood Food Insecurity in New Mexico
New Mexico’s childhood food insecurity rate has long been at or near the highest in the nation. The pandemic and resulting recession only made it worse. This report looks at why food insecurity is such a problem in New Mexico, how it impacts children and families, and what the state can do about it. (State- and county-level data on food and economic insecurity)
Recent Publications
2022 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book
KIDS COUNT Data Book Given the pandemic, child well-being could have taken a great tumble. But, thanks to smart investments at both the state and federal levels, New Mexico's children are not fairing much more poorly and in some cases, have seen slight improvements. This annual report provides data on numerous child well-being indicators related to economic security, education, health, and family and community, and includes policy solutions. (State-, county-, tribal- and school district-level data on child well-being.)
Increasing the state Child Tax Credit will help New Mexico kids thrive
Updated Fact Sheet New Mexico's new state-level CTC is a great start at helping children thrive. Lawmakers should use the legislative session to make a few improvements. (State-level data on how increasing this tax credit would benefit families)
Recent Blog Posts
23 Roundhouse Resolutions for 2023
It's a New Year's resolution bonanza! We've got 23 resolutions for 2023 that we urge lawmakers to consider to improve child well-being in New Mexico.
The Department of the Interior needs to finalize new federal leasing rules
Without important reforms written into rule, DOI’s lease sales could increase the already alarming number of orphaned wells – wells that have been abandoned by oil and gas companies – that pollute New Mexico. That’s because the current bonding amounts are inadequate.
Recent News Coverage
Lawmakers, advocates discuss task force’s recommendations for paid family leave fund
Santa Fe New Mexican--Advocates for such a bill counter it will protect workers, increase morale and cut down on the number of workers who leave the workforce on disability because they cannot otherwise deal with serious health issues. Jacob Vigil, senior research and policy analyst for the nonprofit advocacy group New Mexico Voices for Children, said paid leave offers workers stability and leads to “more loyalty to employers.”
Lawmakers Can Put Children at the Heart of Policy Decisions
Tumbleweeds Magazine--There is still much the state can do to ensure that all children have the opportunities they need to thrive. Lawmakers should continue their work to bring more equity to our tax code by increasing the state’s new child tax credit, while also supporting public and environmental health programs, and continuing to increase investments in education from cradle to career.
Current Initiatives
The New Mexico Environmental Public Health Network became a program of NM Voices at the start of 2021. As our work both on public health and environmental health and justice had been ramping up over several years, it made sense to bring this project into the NM Voices family. As our previous environmental health focused on protecting federal lands and mitigating the harm done by oil and gas exploration and extraction, the NMEPHN work is more broadly based on protecting the state’s natural resources of air, water, and land.