ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- There is positive news for children in the annual data book released Wednesday by New Mexico Voices for Children.

But the children's advocacy group says significant improvements still are needed.

The data book tracks child well-being from one year to the next, and found a slight improvement in child poverty rates in 2018. It also shows that child health insurance rates and preschool attendance have improved over time.

Teen birth rates continued to decline, according James Jimenez, executive director, New Mexico Voices for Children, who says that indicator is important to watch.

"A trend that has been moving in the right direction for many years now, and although we still rank fairly low -- 44th -- it's certainly moving in the right direction," he states.

Overall the data book shows that 26% of the state's children in 2018 remained at or below the federal poverty line, which made New Mexico 49th in the nation, a change from 48th place the year before.

The report found that even more Hispanic children -- 30% -- were living in poverty, while the percentage of Native American children was still higher at 41%.

While the state as a whole saw a larger share of children living in high poverty areas, the rate worsened most dramatically for black children, rising from 20% by 2016 to 26% in 2017.

Jimenez argues that New Mexico is not adequately providing opportunities for children of color.

"And it's really evident to us that if we are going to make sure that New Mexico thrives in the future, we really have to be a lot more intentional about ensuring that we are addressing the conditions that children of color are living in in our state," he stresses.

At the same time, Jimenez notes that Hispanic and Native American youth have seen the biggest improvements in high school graduation rates.

He adds that Voices for Children would like to see lawmakers improve tax policies for working families during the 2020 legislative session that begins next week.

"So we hear all the time that politicians saying children are our future, they are our most important asset, but if you look at our budget, it's not reflected in the way that we make tax policy," he states.

Voices for Children would also like to see lawmakers pass common sense, gun safety legislation, and increase funding for the state's behavioral health system.

Free school lunch and breakfast may soon be the law in the Commonwealth.

House Bill 1958 would require local school boards to participate in federal school lunch and breakfast programs through the Department of Agriculture. The programs make school lunches and breakfasts available to any student who asks for one.

Some schools are already taking part in the programs but the legislation would make it a requirement statewide.

Emily Hardy, deputy director of the Center for Healthy Communities at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, said there is a need for expanded free school meals across the state.

"Almost 400,000 kids would qualify financially currently to get school breakfast that don't," Hardy reported. "We do know there are a lot of children in Virginia who are food insecure, but aren't currently getting the service in their school."

Nearly 1.3 million Virginia children are currently enrolled in public schools across the Commonwealth.

Research from No Kid Hungry suggested free school breakfast also cuts down on rates of chronic absenteeism, where students miss 10% or more of the academic year.

Hardy noted sometimes, a free school meal could come with a stigma for students. A blanket policy, she added, can also help other parents, not just those in a tough financial position.

"Reducing stigma, making it so that all children have access to this, it both helps parents who could afford to pay for meals but maybe don't have the time to make them, or are struggling with other things," Hardy emphasized. "It also helps those children who are low-income, who then don't have to face the stigma of being the only kid getting the free meal."

Other states have already taken steps to provide blanket school meals to students, including in Minnesota, New Mexico and Maine.

Finding appropriate placements for youths entering Ohio's child welfare system has become increasingly difficult.

Rachel Reedy, outreach and member engagement manager for the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, said the complex needs of children in the system, ranging from behavioral and mental health care to justice involvement, require specialized placements, which can drive up costs.

"Across the state, we have just heard more and more about the challenges in finding affordable, accessible and appropriate placements for our youths coming into our child welfare system," Reedy reported.

The challenges are compounded by rising costs, even as fewer children are entering care. County commissioners play a critical role in funding child welfare through a combination of federal, state and local dollars, including property tax levies in some areas.

A lack of trained professionals is another significant obstacle. Reedy elaborated on the capacity challenges within the system.

"We need workforce supports as well," Reedy urged. "When you do not have enough workforce in the system and facilities available, that leads to these capacity challenges, which, in a sense, drives up the cost."

She highlighted initiatives at the state level, such as efforts to encourage students to pursue careers in social work and human services. However, the solutions take time, underscoring the urgency for collaboration at all levels. Reedy added addressing the challenges requires a united effort from local communities, state leaders and lawmakers to ensure every child receives the care they need.


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In his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. condemned the poverty hindering Black Americans' rights and decades later, a new report found children of color still bear the weight of poverty.

The analysis by the Economic Policy Institute showed in 2023, Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native children were three times more likely than their white peers to live in poverty. In Missouri, there's a nearly 17% child poverty rate, just above the national average revealing risks to children's overall well-being.

Ismael Cid-Martinez, economist at the Economic Policy Institute and the report's co-author, said a major cause centers around employment disparities.

"Black workers are more likely than their non-Hispanic white peers to be unemployed," Cid-Martinez reported. "Then when they do obtain some form of employment in the labor market, they're likely to earn less than their peers."

The report also revealed Asian children are twice as likely as their white peers to live in poverty. Cid-Martinez stressed a key solution is implementing policies to ensure the social safety net effectively addresses the material needs of families.

According to the report, the expanded Child Tax Credit cut poverty for children of color by half from 2019 to 2021, lifting more than 700,000 Black children and 1 million Hispanic children out of poverty. However, the gains largely vanished when lawmakers did not extend the tax credit.

Cid-Martinez emphasized stronger unions in the labor market would help.

"Unions help ensure that working parents have jobs where they have the necessary benefits and the flexibility of hours that they need to provide care for children," Cid-Martinez noted.

Recent data showed Black Missourians face a 13.1% unemployment rate, nearly five times higher than white residents. Cid-Martinez added poverty figures reflect economic progress, highlighting King's dream of economic equality remains unfulfilled.


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