Taylor Velazquez

New Mexico is seeing improvements in child poverty and economic well-being according to this year’s Annie E. Casey’s Kids COUNT report, but the state still ranks 49th in the nation for child well-being overall. Advocates say major investments in children are making a difference, though the full impact may take years to appear.

A new report from the Urban Institute finds federal spending on children has declined in recent years and is expected to continue decreasing, even as federal spending overall increases.

Nearly every county in New Mexico faces a critical shortage of health care providers, according to state officials. Now, the state is offering what it says is the nation's most competitive state-funded loan repayment program in an effort to attract more doctors.

As summer break gets underway, thousands of New Mexico children may lose access to school meals. New Mexico is once again offering a federally funded program to help ensure that kids have enough to eat.

A dozen University of New Mexico law students will spend the summer working in rural district courts across the state through a program aimed at improving access to legal services.

Early voting for New Mexico’s primary continues through Saturday and Election Day is June 2nd. This year marks the state’s first semi-open primary election, which means independent and unaffiliated voters can now participate in primary races.

Santa Fe County is once again giving young people the chance to experience the voting process firsthand through its KidsVote program. The initiative aims to show them how to cast a ballot to ease anxieties about voting in the future.

For New Mexico youth, having a trusted adult mentor, like a Big Brother or Big Sister, can lead to better outcomes, like staying away from drugs and alcohol and pursuing higher education. But as mentorship programs face volunteer shortages, some young people are being left without the support they need.

New Mexico has been facing a shortage of health care providers for years, especially in rural areas. The state Health Care Authority is hoping to alleviate that strain and fill in gaps with a new support center.

Getting summoned for jury duty can stir a lot of emotion and uncertainty for many people. But an updated juror orientation video is designed to help New Mexicans better understand the jury service process, and why it’s so important.