State Children’s Cabinet releases 2025 Annual Report  

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Julia Sclafani
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Report highlights historic literacy, income gains

SANTA FE — Median family income in New Mexico grew faster than in any other state in 2024, child poverty fell by the largest margin in the nation and kindergarten readiness vastly improved — findings documented in the New Mexico Children’s Cabinet’s 2025 Annual Report, released Monday.

The report, organized around five outcome areas — Educated, Healthy, Involved, Safe, and Supported — reflects the Cabinet’s work across 18 state agencies to reduce adverse childhood experiences and advance equitable service delivery for all New Mexico children.

Total spending across all five outcome areas reached $8.8 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), up from $4.9 billion in FY19, reflecting the sustained and growing investment New Mexico has made in children and families under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration.

“This report reflects the extraordinary work happening across every corner of New Mexico to give our children a strong start and a bright future,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “From universal child care to record reading proficiency gains and one of the nation’s largest reductions in child poverty, the data show that our investments are making a meaningful difference for New Mexico children and families.”

Among the report’s highlights: 

• Family income and poverty: Median family income in New Mexico grew faster than in any other state in 2024, ranking New Mexico first for both year-to-year growth and long-term gains. Additionally, child poverty fell by 3.3%, the largest reduction in the nation. 

• Child resilience: Approximately 81% of young children in New Mexico are reported as flourishing — demonstrating curiosity, resilience, and positive social-emotional development, according to a report by United Health Foundation. 

• Adverse childhood experiences: Children with two or more adverse childhood experiences decreased to 23% in 2024, down from 27% in 2021, reflecting the impact of coordinated, prevention-focused investments across state agencies. 

• Kindergarten readiness: Forty-eight percent of New Mexico kindergarteners are on track across all five developmental domains, and kindergarten readiness improved by 13% in the 2024–2025 school year — driven in part by a historic expansion of New Mexico PreK to fund early education for 18,376 children. 

• Infant mortality: In 2023, New Mexico’s infant mortality rate fell from 5.9 deaths per 1,000 births in 2022 to 4.4 deaths per 1,000 births, placing the state among the top eight in the nation for lowest infant mortality rates. 

“The progress reflected in this report is the result of deep collaboration across agencies, communities, and families,” said Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who serves as Vice Chair of the Children’s Cabinet. “We are building systems that meet children and families where they are — and the outcomes speak for themselves.”

The 2025 Annual Report also highlights the Cabinet’s alignment with the Thriving Families Prevention Plan, published in January 2024, which identifies strategies to reduce adverse childhood experiences for New Mexico’s youngest children ages 0 to 3. Metrics tracked under this plan show continued improvement, including a decrease in children with two or more adverse childhood experiences from 27% in 2021 to 23% in 2024.

The report coincides with several significant wins in the 2026 New Mexico Legislative Session, including SB 241, which codifies universal child care into state law, and SB 37, the High Quality Literacy Instruction Act, which establishes literacy standards and intervention supports for students in kindergarten through third grade.

The full 2025 Annual Report is available at childrenscabinet.nm.gov.

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Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham launched the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) in 2020, making New Mexico among the first states to consolidate all early childhood programs and services under a single cabinet-level agency. Under this administration, ECECD has led the nation by expanding access to free New Mexico PreK, overseeing the largest investment in early childhood infrastructure in state history, and implementing cost-free child care for a majority of New Mexico families. Learn more about how ECECD supports children, families, and the early childhood professionals that serve our communities at nmececd.org. On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as @NewMexicoECECD.