ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. – New Mexico is second to last among states in rankings for children's well-being just out today.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation compiles 16 indicators of how kids and families are doing in terms of the economy, education, health and community conditions in its 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book.

While New Mexico gets low rankings for its lack of economic and educational progress, there are some bright spots in the report, according to New Mexico Voices for Children Executive Director James Jimenez. He notes the state's ranking rose from 44th to 37th for children's health.

"We have some terrific partners that we work with here in New Mexico, and the Legislature has done a decent job trying to increase funding for some of these programs," Jimenez says. "We're not nearly where we need to be, but we have made some progress."

A bipartisan 2016 Legislature included more funding for Medicaid programs, among others, but they were vetoed by Gov. Susana Martinez in her efforts to prevent tax increases. The state has yet to see the economic recovery that many others have enjoyed since the Recession.

The Casey Foundation report confirms the sluggish New Mexico economy, dropping its ranking from 20th to 27th for the number of families burdened by spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Child poverty showed almost no change, coming in at 49th, up only one position from last place, last year.

Jimenez points to one area that could affect all others: early childhood efforts.

"Probably the most important thing that we could do is really invest in our early childhood education and care programs, things like pre-kindergarten to home visiting," he says. "All the programs that really help families position children to be able to thrive once they get to our education system. "

Only Mississippi ranked lower than New Mexico in child well-being, according to the report. The number one position went to New Hampshire.


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APPLETON, Wis. - The pandemic paused many facets of life, and a new report says wellness checkups for children were among them. With school resuming this fall, Wisconsin families are urged to get caught up on preventive care.

According to the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, new findings suggest there was a 27% decline in the United States in pediatric office visits in 2020. Dr. Sharon Rink, an Appleton-based pediatrician at ThedaCare Physicians-Darboy, said now's the time for kids to reconnect with their family physician to ensure their growth and development wasn't hindered.

"With younger children, it's just to make sure that their speech is progressing, that their gross motor is progressing," she said. "With older teens, it's just a good time to regroup: 'How is your family doing?'"

She said those conversations can help kids rid themselves of unhealthy habits they may have developed, such as too much screen time. While health experts say there are rare cases in which standard immunizations aren't called for, they urge following up on missed shots that are required for most children as they grow.

The report said 11 million routine vaccinations were missed during the pandemic. Dr. Lee Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, noted the importance of staying on track.

"If too few people in a community are vaccinated against a particular disease, it means that we might see an outbreak of that disease; we've seen this before, with measles and with pertussis," she said. "And so it's so important to make sure that your child is vaccinated, not just to protect themselves, but also to protect everyone around them."

Rink said keeping kids healthy allows them to stay in the classroom, adding that they don't want to miss any more in-person learning, as so many did during COVID lockdowns.

"The devastation from the last year-and-a-half has been terrible in terms of mental health, physical health, academic progress," she said.

For families who avoided doctor visits out of safety concerns, Rink said offices still are carrying out protocols to prevent the spread of COVID. For those who have suffered financially because of the crisis, she recommended reaching out to county human service departments to learn more about resources for wellness visits.

HELENA, Mont. - A Montana campaign is renewing its efforts to help identify developmental delays in young children.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Learn the Signs. Act Early" program is aimed at parents and people who work with children from birth to age 5. As part of that effort, Act Early Montana has launched a website to provide free resources to help folks recognize developmental disabilities.

Marcy Hanson, a registered nurse and the Montana Act Early ambassador, said most developmental delays or disorders aren't identified until kids reach school.

"What we know is early identification and intervention is really the best for overall health outcomes," she said. "So, the goal is to get these resources in parents' hands before they hit those early school-age years, so that we can get them the resources and the tools they need."

Because of COVID-19, she said, Montana Act Early has seen a dip in referral to services and wellness visits for children. With restrictions easing, the group hopes to ramp up services and outreach again. Hanson noted that one in four kids from birth to age 5 is at moderate or high risk for developmental, behavioral or social delays.

One in six children between ages 3 and 17 has a developmental disability that can affect how they play, learn, speak, act or move, according to the CDC. Hanson shared some of the milestones they look for in young children.

"Is your child meeting eye contact when you talk with them, when you interact with them? We also look for things like hearing, and feeding themselves, and walking and babbling and rolling over," she said, "all of those fun little milestones that kiddos progress through."

Hanson said the CDC provides a milestone tracker app that can be useful for parents and folks who work with young children, such as child care, education and health-care providers.

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. -- Beginning last week, thousands of Virginia families with children saw more money in their bank accounts as the federal government started distributing Child Tax Credit payments to eligible families.

Vilma Hernandez-Morales is a mother of four with three children younger than 17 who qualify for the monthly payments. A legal resident of Loudoun County, originally from El Salvador, she supports her entire family by babysitting and taking on part-time jobs.

Her daughter Esmirelda said they will use the money for everyday expenses that have piled up during the pandemic.

"The way she will use it will be like, in medical situations, she has to pay for food, for clothing, for supplies," Hernandez-Morales explained.

A year and a half after the pandemic started, many Virginia families sorely need the extra cash, particularly Latino families. About 14% of Virginians with children sometimes or often didn't have enough to eat in the previous week, according to U.S. Census data from June. That number was much worse for Latino families, with almost half reporting not having enough to eat.

Jennifer Lassiter Smith, director of U.S. programs for INMED Partnerships for Children in Loudoun County, pointed out her group is educating low-income families on qualifying for and accessing payments.

She said if taxpayers received refunds deposited to their bank accounts, the payment will automatically show up. But many don't realize if they received an IRS check in the mail, they need to be sure they have registered a forwarding address if they moved since filing tax returns.

"For the people who need it the most, housing has been precarious this year," Lassiter Smith observed. "So if they don't live in the same place now as they did six months ago, then there could be a problem there. So that's another thing that we're letting them know."

The Child Tax Credit expansion is part of President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan, and nearly 1.6 million Virginia kids are expected to benefit.

Experts say the expanded tax credit could cut child poverty in the nation almost in half if it's made permanent. About 85,000 children in Virginia alone would be elevated out of poverty.