Healthy and Safe Communities
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. Safe and supportive communities build resilient families and a strong state.
Featured Content
New Mexico’s Working Families Tax Credit and the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit
Tax credits for low- and moderate-income working families are a common-sense way to spur economic activity by putting money into the hands of consumers who will spend it. They have also been shown to improve health outcomes. These are just some of the reasons New Mexico should increase its Working Families Tax Credit.
Investing in a Healthier New Mexico: The Economic and Fiscal Benefits of the Medicaid Expansion in New Mexico
The Medicaid expansion, as part of the Affordable Care Act, has been very good for New Mexico. Not only are tens of thousands of New Mexicans able to access health care, the program has brought billions into the state that has created thousands of jobs, economic activity, and tax revenue. (Report)
The Well-Being of Black Children in New Mexico
Although our state’s Black children are generally faring better than Black children nationally, they still face significant obstacles to success. This report, created in partnership with the NM Office of African American Affairs, looks at how New Mexico’s Black children are doing on 20 indicators of child well-being. (A special KIDS COUNT report)
Recent Publications
Policy, Advocacy, and Child Well-being in New Mexico
Presentation Most people do not associate taxes with health, but there is a definite connection -- and it goes beyond raising enough revenue to pay for health care programs like Medicaid. What we tax, who pays the most, and who benefits are all aspects that impact a family's financial security, which in turn, impacts where they can live, what kind of food they can afford to purchase, and more.
The Working Families Tax Credit is a Smart Investment in a Healthier New Mexico
Fact Sheet Increasing the Working Families Tax Credit would put another $52 million back into the hands of New Mexico’s hard-working families – and the businesses where they will spend it. It also has been shown to improve school performance and health, among other outcomes.
Recent Blog Posts
Tax credits are smart policy investments for a healthier New Mexico
How much income a family earns determines where they live, what access they have to schools, food, and health care, as well as the amount of stress they experience in making ends meet. Evidence shows that tax credits for working families are critical for not only putting money back into the hands of these consumers, but also for improving their health and well-being. New Mexico's Working Families Tax Credit brings these benefits to families and could do more if it were increased.
Changing the course on child well-being
The past decade of austerity has been hard on New Mexico’s children. Still, we are optimistic about the future because we believe in the strength and resiliency of New Mexico’s families. We know we can build stronger communities and support more resilient families and children so that they can thrive. But we can only build a stronger New Mexico if our policymakers are willing to provide the revenue we need to make these investments.
Recent News Coverage
Dismal Kids Count data tracks with Martinez administration
“The one area where she did do well in, and we give her credit for, is the Medicaid expansion. That had an immediate and dramatic impact on some of the health stats for our children,” Jimenez said. That action cut the child uninsurance rate in half, from 10% down to 5%, with New Mexico zooming past 12 states in that area.
Air Force facing lawsuit over Kirtland fuel cleanup
“Laws exist in the U.S. for people to take action when they feel that the government is failing to protect human health and resources,” says Douglas Meiklejohn, New Mexico Environmental Law Center Executive Director.
Current Initiatives
A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a study to determine if a public policy may have unintended consequences on the health of a community or population. Specifically, this HIA, A Health Impact Assessment of a Food Tax in New Mexico, looks at whether reinstating the gross receipts tax on food–essentially raising the cost of groceries–would negatively impact the health of New Mexico’s low-income families and, if so, whether the potential benefits of more revenue for local governments would offset such impacts.