NM Voices in the News
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Kids Count places New Mexico 50th for child well-being
Santa Fe New Mexican--“[The data] doesn’t necessarily reflect many of the policy changes we’ve seen at a state level,” New Mexico Voices for Children Executive Director Amber Wallin said in an interview Monday. “When the data catches up to the policy, we expect to see continued improvement for New Mexico’s children and families.”
New Mexico slips to 50th in child well-being
Albuquerque Journal--What’s not reflected in the data book is “great policy progress in the past few years that put kids first,” she said, noting a number of legislative changes made from 2019 forward. “Among them are the new child tax credit, the doubling of the tax credit for working families with kids and the expansion of child care systems to most every kid in New Mexico,” she said.
A Missing Ingredient
New Mexico In Depth--Advocates note that many people exposed to trauma recover, particularly if they have attentive families and strong support systems. “Children are really resilient,” said Amber Wallin, executive director of the advocacy organization New Mexico Voices for Children, particularly if they are only exposed to one or two ACEs. But if trauma accumulates beyond that, she said, the challenges become more difficult to overcome — “and that’s where New Mexico fares really poorly.”
Low literacy linked to New Mexico’s poverty
Albuquerque Journal--“Literacy and poverty are closely tied together, and they can reinforce each other through generations,” said Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children. “If a child is living in poverty and facing difficult financial challenges, then one of the things that could come along with that is that their parents may have less time to work with them at home on reading and homework, particularly if the parents are working two jobs.”
New Mexico Residents To Receive Tax Rebate Of Up To $500
Forbes--“This type of relief is really crucial right now,” says Amber Wallin, executive director of the nonpartisan advocacy group New Mexico Voices for Children. She anticipates the money will be especially significant for women, families with children, and people of color who have been particularly affected by recent economic challenges, including the pandemic and the highest inflation in decades.
New Mexico’s children are worth the investment
Santa Fe New Mexican--New Mexico is not like any other state. Our people, our traditions and our communities are unique. This November, voters have the opportunity to approve a ballot question that would bring data driven, transformational change to our state to level the playing field for hardworking New Mexico families, giving all of our kids, regardless of family income, a fair opportunity to thrive.
New Mexico joins states to extend post-birth Medicaid coverage
Santa Fe New Mexican--Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, called the move “a game-changing” development for many New Mexico mothers. “This provides guaranteed, essential services for mothers during a crucial period” in their lives, Wallin said in an interview. “Maternal mortality is a major issue across the nation.”
Mixed emotions on Mother’s Day
Santa Fe New Mexican--Amber Wallin is always thinking about moms: working moms, moms who recently immigrated to the U.S., Latina moms who disproportionately bore the brunt of the pandemic-era economic fallout. "As we look at who was hardest hit by the pandemic, it was moms," noted Wallin, 40, who is executive director of the child advocacy organization New Mexico Voices for Children.
New Mexico to offer a year of free child care to most residents
Washington Post--Advocates welcomed the initiative at a time when families are still recovering from the economic fallout of the pandemic and are grappling with rising prices. “It is hard to overstate the impacts of ensuring that all families can afford great child care,” said Amber Wallin, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, an advocacy group.
New Mexico families are getting a needed tax break
Santa Fe New Mexican Tax Day 2022 offered a good reminder that lawmakers have made several improvements to our tax code in recent years that are providing important benefits for New Mexicans in need of financial relief.