NMVFC News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The 2021 New Mexico KIDS COUNT Data Book will be the subject of a virtual press conference Wednesday, Jan. 19.

The focus of the Data Book this year is on the need to ensure that the recession recovery is equitable along racial, ethnic, and gender lines.  

This annual accounting of child well-being in the state tracks several indicators across four domains: economic security, education, health, and family and community. Indicators include issues such as child poverty and food insecurity rates, parental employment and education levels, and teen birth rates.

The report is released at the start of the legislative session each year to give lawmakers an idea of some of the needs of our children and families, as well as policy recommendations for improving outcomes.  

As with last year’s Data Book, data specific to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, from the U.S. Census Bureau’s ongoing surveys, are included. These data track issues such as economic insecurity, problems receiving medical care, and how COVID-19 infection rates are related to income levels.  

While all of the data are available at the state level, several of the indicators include data on the county, tribal, and school district levels, and some data are disaggregated by race and ethnicity.