SENATE MEMORIAL 57

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Lynda M. Lovejoy

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE INTERIM LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE TO ESTABLISH A SUBCOMMITTEE TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES TO DEVELOP AN INFRASTRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.

     WHEREAS, most people would agree that in order for a community to do well, its children must do well; and

     WHEREAS, although many children in New Mexico are doing well, many others are struggling, having fallen behind during their early childhood years; and

     WHEREAS, children who live in poverty, or who live in areas lacking resources and opportunities, often lag behind other children and have a difficult time catching up; and

     WHEREAS, according to the 2010 kids count data book, about one-fourth of all New Mexicans live in poverty, and close to one-half of their children live in extreme poverty; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico is home to twenty-two tribes, including nineteen pueblos, the Navajo Nation and two Apache tribes, and to many Native Americans who live off-reservation throughout the state; and

     WHEREAS, twelve percent of all children in New Mexico between the ages of birth and five years old are Native American, and many of them live in isolated, rural areas of the state; and

     WHEREAS, these children are among those most in need of high-quality, comprehensive, early childhood care and education to ensure their readiness for kindergarten through grade twelve; and

     WHEREAS, according to a December 2009 report of the children, youth and families department titled "New Mexico's Early Learning Systems", the sovereign, self-governing pueblos, tribes and nations of New Mexico vary considerably from one another in language, government, judicial structure, custom and traditions; and

     WHEREAS, a disproportionate percentage of Native American children face the challenges of poverty and school failure; and

     WHEREAS, according to the Indian education status report for 2006-2007 prepared by the public education department, only thirty-eight percent of Indian children are proficient in reading and only twenty-seven percent are proficient in math in third grade; and

     WHEREAS, the status report also reveals that, despite efforts to decrease the number of student dropouts, the Native American drop-out rate increased over a three-year period for grades seven and eight; and

     WHEREAS, Native American children who face disadvantages in early childhood and who live in poverty experience a disproportionate level of health problems, including a higher incidence of infant mortality, obesity, substance abuse and suicide and a shorter life span than children in better- supported areas of the state; and

     WHEREAS, a widely shared objective is to ensure that every child in New Mexico has an equal opportunity for success in school and has access to an integrated and high-quality system of early learning experiences; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has a number of early childhood programs and policies to support this objective, including home visiting programs; child care assistance; the teacher education and compensation helps (T.E.A.C.H.) early childhood program; pre-kindergarten, kindergarten plus and K-3 plus programs; the family, infant and toddler program; and generous medicaid and children's health insurance programs known as New MexiKids; and

     WHEREAS, despite the existence of these valuable programs, and despite attempts to coordinate efforts through the establishment of Native American advisory committees, Native American liaison positions and other approaches, only pockets of success have been achieved among New Mexico's Native American populations; and

     WHEREAS, although laudable, efforts to extend early childhood programs and services to the pueblos, tribes and nations of New Mexico have not resulted in a reliable and comprehensive system of early programs and services; and

     WHEREAS, there has been little attention paid, outside of the pueblos, tribes and nations themselves, to develop the necessary infrastructure to support such a comprehensive system of early childhood programs and services;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the interim legislative health and human services committee be requested to establish a subcommittee to identify opportunities for Native American communities to develop an infrastructure of early childhood programs and services; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the subcommittee seek testimony and recommendations from agencies and other entities in New Mexico that have been engaged in addressing this identified need, including the children, youth and families department, the children's cabinet, the Indian affairs department, the department of health's office of school and adolescent health, the public education department, New Mexico voices for children, the early childhood action network and others with expertise in early childhood development and education; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the subcommittee request testimony regarding available federal and grant funding that could be obtained to develop an infrastructure of early childhood programs and services for Native Americans; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the chair of the interim legislative health and human services committee.

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