SANTA FE, N.M. – Este martes comienza a circular el reporte anual Kids Count (Los Niños Cuentan), relativo a Nuevo México. Esta investigación arroja datos que muestran que la Tierra de Encanto sigue siendo un lugar difícil donde vivir la infancia. Los niños del estado enfrentan retos reales para crecer sanamente y con una buena educación que les prepare para el éxito.

Christine Hollis, Directora de Kids Count, proyecto de New Mexico Voices for Children (Voces de Nuevo México por los Niños), hace referencia a que más de la cuarta parte de los niños viven en la pobreza, y uno de cada cinco no tiene seguro médico. Pero agrega que los legisladores y el gobierno estatal pueden tomar medidas efectivas para mejorar la situación; y puntualiza que donde se debe empezar es con los programas para los niños más pequeños.

“Podemos armar y apoyar programas de educación temprana de alta calidad para los niños, que incluyan áreas tales como cuidados prenatales, visitas a domicilio, de asistencia infantil y programas de pre-kinder.”

El reporte circula desde hoy, luego de su presentación durante un evento en el la rotonda del Capitolio del Estado a la 1 de la tarde. Su lanzamiento se hace junto con otro reporte que contiene conversaciones recogidas en comunidades de todo el estado. La investigación afirma que los neomexicanos pisan el mismo suelo cuando se trata de evaluar la educación temprana, y de encontrar formas de pagarla.

Hollis dice que los programas de educación temprana preparan a los estudiantes para el kinder y los niveles elementales, y pueden dejar su huella benéfica en otras áreas en las que los estudiantes batallan.

“Ayuda a lograr un aumento en la destreza de lectura en el tercer grado, una mayor tasa de alumnos que terminan la secundaria, así como un incremento de alumnos que se matriculan en la universidad.”

El reporte Kids Count encontró que menos de la mitad de los niños de Nuevo México asisten a un programa pre-escolar, sólo uno de cada cinco puede leer con fluidez en cuarto grado, y un tercio jamás se gradúan de highschol.

Hollis considera importante que los programas de educación temprana sean accesibles para todos y que estén al alcance del presupuesto familiar, pues las estadísticas empeoran sensiblemente entre los niños que pertenecen a las minorías de Nuevo México.

“En nuestro estado realmente sólo tenemos que dar los pasos necesarios para resolver las disparidades raciales y étnicas.”

Hollis comenta la experiencia de otro estado, Maryland, el cual tuvo éxito en reducir las diferencias raciales y étnicas mejorando los programas de educación temprana y conectándolos con el kinder y los niveles básicos.

Más información en nmvoices.org.


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The need for child care and early learning is critical, especially in rural Arkansas. One nonprofit is working to fill those gaps by giving providers a chance to get more education.

The Career Pathways Program with Save the Children partners with universities to grow the workforce of child care and preschool providers.

Joyce Taylor, Eastern Arkansas parent-family community engagement coordinator for Save the Children, had more than 20 years' experience with Head Start and said the program gave her the opportunity to pursue a bachelor's degree. It also provides her with resources she can use, in the classroom and with families.

"In particular, we have a family with a child that is autistic," Taylor noted. "Mom is working with the child at home. So I have things that I can share with that family, so she can continue to work with her child."

More than 153,000 openings for child care workers are projected over the next decade, largely driven by the need to replace those who have left the field or retired, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Taylor pointed out some children have challenging behaviors, and may have a lot of things going on at home. It is her job to help them thrive in preschool.

"Because we're the first start, when they come into Head Start, that's their first opportunity to be in a learning environment," Taylor explained. "It's up to us to do everything that we can do, to help make that first experience successful."

Karen Harrison, managing director of career in education workforce development for Save the Children, said rural areas have access to fewer resources compared to urban areas, so the program focuses on addressing the specific gaps in rural communities. She added the Pathways program aims to reduce barriers to obtaining a higher-ed credential or degree.

"All of our pathways come with incentives," Harrison emphasized. "We either pay all or partial of their tuition; we pay stipends, for books, supplies and materials. We also give 'barrier reduction' stipends. We know that child care for participants themselves can be an issue; transportation, technology needs."

Harrison added the pathway begins with a Child Development Associate credential, followed by an associate degree, and ultimately a bachelor's degree. In the process, they improve the career opportunities for workers, as well as the quality of early learning.

A persistent child care worker shortage across New Hampshire is leaving families with few options.

The state is currently short more than 7,000 child care positions but low wages and burnout are driving workers from the field and forcing some centers to close.

Shannon Tremblay, director of the New Hampshire Child Care Advisory Council, said workers are struggling to care for their own families with wages barely above the federal poverty line.

"No one wants to come in for a low wage," Tremblay pointed out. "No one wants to come in making $15 an hour, working long hours in a stressful environment."

Tremblay argued greater state investment will create long-term benefits for both parents and children, some of whom may have disabilities or behavioral issues which could be identified earlier by trained child care staff.

Last year, state lawmakers invested more than $60 million in child care services, including $15 million for the creation of child care workforce grants and investments in the state's Family Resource Centers.

Tremblay emphasized the end of career and technical education programs in New Hampshire high schools broke the pipeline of workers entering the field, putting greater pressure on current staff to do it all.

"Our providers are the case manager, the cook, the plumber," Tremblay observed. "They want to provide that high-quality care and right now it's just, they can't do it."

Tremblay stressed pandemic-era funding to support the child care industry will run out in September, so state lawmakers need to act. She added the state could increase wages so the burden does not fall on New Hampshire families, who currently spend roughly $24,000 a year on care for two children under age five.

The child welfare system in Pennsylvania faces a staffing crisis affecting children and families throughout the system.

The Child Welfare Resource Center said about 30 counties report caseworker vacancy rates of 30% or higher

Terry Clark, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services, at a state Senate hearing on child welfare, challenged the Departments of Education and Human Services to work together to develop a STEM-focused model for human services. It could offer young people opportunities for training, apprenticeships and careers in child welfare, juvenile justice and behavioral health.

"We spend a lot of time focusing on colleges and universities," Clark noted. "But we believe we might want to back this up a little bit, and start looking at middle schools and high schools. Try to reinvigorate, get younger students motivated and trying to come into this field."

Clark pointed out some agencies have asked supervisors and even people from other departments to take on casework responsibilities. A recent Philadelphia study found Community Umbrella Agencies had an average 45% turnover rate, with vacancies ranging from 21-60 positions.

Clark observed private providers face workforce challenges similar to the county child welfare agencies. He emphasized counties are beginning to explore more contractual relationships with private providers for needed work.

"Counties are starting to put out RFPs, calls for private providers to help supplement their workforce," Clark stressed. "That means they're asking private providers to take on roles and functions that, in the past, were primarily done by counties themselves."

Clark argued competitive wages are seen as crucial to attract and retain child welfare workers, and county funding often falls short. He added student loan forgiveness and fellowship programs may be promising ways to bring new people into the field, but lawmakers would have to agree.

"There have been House bills and different Senate bills that have been introduced, or at least in draft form over the years," Clark acknowledged. "We hope that there's continued discussion about those, because if we can get some movement on those, we think those will really help."

He told legislators the turnover trends will not change significantly without increased investment in workers.