'Every Child Matters' in N.M. Elections

from the Albuquerque Journal

By Jackie Jadrnak
Journal Staff Writer
Political candidates may find themselves talking more about kids this year.

The Every Child Matters Education Fund, based in Washington, D.C., has targeted New Mexico as its newest state to organize in raising the profile of children and family issues in the election. Its president, Michael Petit, will be in Santa Fe today to meet with local advocates and officials.

"We don't support any candidates. We're nonpartisan," Petit said in a telephone interview. "We just create opportunities for candidates to express themselves on the issues."

Two things about New Mexico drew the organization's interest. "It doesn't fare very well relative to the rest of the country for children's well-being," Petit said. "And there are so many competitive races on the federal level ... "

All three congressional races and the one U.S. Senate race have no incumbent running for re-election this year.

Every Child Matters, funded by foundations and philanthropy, also is organizing in Mississippi this year. Founded in 2001, it already has set up shop in Nevada, Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado, New Hampshire and Louisiana.

The group would operate with three or four paid workers, helped by a lot of volunteers, according to spokeswoman Angela Blake Madnick. It's in the process of forming a steering committee in New Mexico, she said.

"We will take a series of initiatives to raise the visibility of kids in the state," Petit said. That could include polls, candidate forums and voter registration, he said, as well as community education.

The movement wants to push candidates beyond the usual photo ops with cute kids and get specific answers to how they would get children health insurance, prevent abuse and neglect, develop after-school programs and provide early childhood education. Other questions listed in its materials include how to bring children out of poverty and meet the needs of children with a parent in prison.

"A large investment gap has been allowed to grow in this country," Petit said. "The public cares about children. We know that. They want candidates to make an investment in kids."

Children in New Mexico
# In 1960, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid spending on adults amounted to 22 percent of domestic spending, while spending on children accounted for 20 percent. By 2005, that gap grew to 46 percent spent on adult programs and 15 percent on children.

# The poverty rate was about 28 percent for elderly people and about 18 percent for children in 1966. In 2005, it was about 10 percent for elderly people and 17 percent for children.

# A 2007 UNICEF report showed the United States ranked 20th among 21 rich democracies for children's well-being.

# In New Mexico, children and youths through age 19 are more than twice as likely to die, teens are more than three times as likely to have babies, children are more than 21/2 times as likely to be living in poverty, and kids are more than four times as likely to be uninsured— all this compared with the top-ranked state.

# New Mexico ranks in the bottom 10 of all those previous categories, as well as in the rankings of mothers who get no or late prenatal care. New Mexico's tax burden ranks 45th.
-- Source: Every Child Matters Education Fund