New Report Shows Almost 30 Perfect of New Mexico Kids Live In Poverty

A new report from a New Mexico based advocacy group showed that last year there was little improvement in the economic well-being of New Mexico families.

The New Mexico-based advocacy group New Mexico Voices for Children released their annual Kids Count Data Book this week and had interesting findings that were both good and bad for New Mexico families.

There have been some improvements for kids in New Mexico, including more having health insurance, less teenagers abusing alcohol and drugs and less teen births. But some areas need improvement, including more children living in high poverty areas and more children whose parents lack secure employment.

According to the report, New Mexico comes in 49th among states for child well-being, one of the lowest ranking in the nation. About 26% of children are living in high poverty areas, compared to 24% from 2009-2013. This makes New Mexico have the second-worst percentage in the nation. 36% of children in New Mexico have parents that lack secure employment, which is up 1% from 2013.

You can check out the New Mexico's 2016 KIDS COUNT Profile here.