RAISING NEW MEXICANSAGAINST THE ODDS

by Sandra Avant

This article appeared in the Fall/Winter 1997 issue of New Mexico Resources.

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Artists paint an inviting land of captivating white sand deserts and breathtaking mountains. Photographers capture enchanting images of rich, diverse cultures. But a statistical snapshot of New Mexico depicts a gloomier scene.

New Mexico is poor. One-fourth of New Mexicans lived in poverty in 1995, the highest rate in the nation, reports the 1997 issue of New Mexico in Perspective. An even higher percentage of the state's children -- 35 percent -- were poor.

Despite the shadow of poverty, the state's population continues to grow. From 1990 to 1996, it increased by 13 percent from 1.5 million to 1.7 million. Most of the growth took place in urban areas like Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Las Cruces.

While population growth is favorable compared to the rest of the nation, income is not. A recent report from New Mexico's Department of Labor ranks the state 49th in per capita income.

"Population growth is so rapid that it's hard for our income to keep up with it," says Bob Coppedge, economist with NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service. "There's also a disparity of income -- a few really wealthy areas and a lot of poor areas."

More than half of all New Mexicans live in rural communities, he says. In 1995, 53 percent of the people lived in rural counties, yet only 43 percent of the jobs were there.

Only five of 33 counties have per capita income above the state average, he says. Urban counties do better -- Los Alamos, Bernalillo and Santa Fe. However, counties like Doña Ana, located near Mexico's border, tend to be poor.

"Ironically, some economists feel that New Mexico is in a boom," says Dede Feldman, a state senator from Albuquerque. "They say unemployment is down, but it doesn't spread out from Albuquerque to the rest of the state where pockets of poverty are problematic like in Mora and parts of the Navajo Reservation."

New Mexico is poor for several reasons, Coppedge says. After World War II, economies in many rural communities were strengthened by the federal government's adoption of isolated areas and open lands for defense research and missile testing. The state became dependent on government jobs and spending, which later were cut significantly.

Another critical element is New Mexico's resource-based economy, he says.

"We've behaved like a colony state in the past," Coppedge says. "We export our raw products, whether they are lumber, chile, cattle or gas, and we're paying higher prices when those products are shipped back to us."

An opportunity for economic growth is to stop shipping out raw products and process them in the state, he says. "If we process in state, we capture more of the value."

Symptoms of poverty

In the meantime, the state must deal with poverty's effects. New Mexico is first nationwide in the percentage of people without health insurance and mothers who receive late or no prenatal care. Drug- and alcohol-induced death rates rank first and second, respectively. Teen pregnancy is fourth.

"Failure to address early childhood problems creates problems further down the road," Feldman says. "Kids need a good health care delivery system. Even before that, prenatal care is needed for pregnant women to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome and low-birth-weight babies."

One reason for New Mexico's high percentage of uninsured people is that businesses here are mostly small and can't afford to provide health benefits, she says. Without insurance, the working poor have no preventive medical care and fall victim to illnesses and diseases.

"The New Mexico Border Health Office educates people on chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and vaccine-preventable and infectious diseases," says Daniel Reyna, border health office director. "Hepatitis A is a major concern, especially in the colonias where uncovered solid waste can contaminate drinking water."

Health advisors go door-to-door to reach people in Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Otero counties, he says. In Luna County, more than 10 percent of the population has been reached through one-on-one visits.

For New Mexicans, drunk drivers can be especially hazardous to their health.

"We're number one in the nation in alcohol-related crashes and fatalities," says Patsy Manzanares, Doña Ana County DWI coordinator. "There's a 50-percent chance that if you're involved in a crash, it will be alcohol related. That's very scary."

Drug incidents are high because proximity to the border makes New Mexico a major shipping route, she says. "It's a fast, easy getaway on back roads that aren't patrolled."

The lack of after-school programs and jobs leaves teens with more time on their hands while parents are at work, says Helen Tso, project coordinator of New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition.

"If you ask kids, most say they want to get pregnant because there's no one to love," she says. "Parents are just not there for children who are feeling unloved."

In 1995, about 5,000 of the 27,000 women who gave birth in the state were teenagers, Tso says. Preliminary figures from this year show that births to teen mothers still average 18 percent.

"We know teen pregnancy is related to poverty, the lack of success in school for males and females, and in some cases, it's related to sexual abuse," says Linda Phillips Lehrer with New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition.

Statistics give the impression that only minorities have high rates of teen pregnancy, she says. It's really about economics, not race. Poor kids tend to have little hope for a better future.

Teen pregnancy is a complex problem, Lehrer says. There's no silver bullet to fix it. Solutions require partnerships between parents, families, schools, religious institutions and community organizations.

Moving from welfare

Times were different when Aid for Dependent Children (AFDC) was created 62 years ago to allow widowed or abandoned mothers to remain at home and raise their children. As the 21st century nears, AFDC, the basic income support program for poor families, has undergone a radical change.

The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act eliminated AFDC and converted it into a block grant that funds state programs. The nation's welfare system now requires work in exchange for time-limited assistance, and there's significant reduction in food stamp benefits. The new law affects low-income children (who make up two-thirds of AFDC recipients) and families, the elderly, the working poor, disabled people and legal immigrants.

New Mexico's welfare plan, Personal Responsibility Opportunities to Gainfully Reach Economic Self Sufficiency (PROGRESS), was put on hold in September.

"The state Supreme Court ruled that the way the plan was implemented was unconstitutional," says Peter Shams-Avari, interim public information director for New Mexico's Department of Human Services. "The court ordered us to cease the program and go back to running the AFDC program until the Legislature passes a bill that is signed by the governor into law."

Nationally and statewide, welfare caseloads -- which represent households -- have dropped, he says. In New Mexico, cases decreased from 25,930 in July 1996 to 22,678 in August 1997.

"We started informing recipients last year that they would be required to work," Shams-Avari says. "They had to sign up for a work program through New Mexico's Department of Labor, and we issued contracts for job agencies to train them."

Because of the Supreme Court ruling, at the time, it was unclear how welfare recipients who had found jobs would be affected.

"We can provide job training, child care and transportation, but all these attack the symptoms of poverty," Shams-Avari says. "Education is the key to self-sufficiency. Our long-range plan includes taking the funds saved from welfare reform and moving them into an education component to attack the causes rather than the symptoms."

Little research has been done on welfare mothers who had to take low-paying jobs, says Diana DelCampo, Extension family life and child development specialist.

"We do know that mothers in low-paying jobs who have chosen to work have kids who do well in cognitive and social development," she says.

Also, welfare reform will allow more kids to know their fathers because of child support enforcement, DelCampo says. Research shows that children who have good relationships with their dads usually feel more secure than kids who don't.

"Child support has been strengthened and enhanced," says Roberto Salazar, acting director of child support enforcement with state human services. "We have 78,000 to 80,000 parents seeking child support. Last year, we collected $39 million in child support. This year's goal is $60 million and $100 million by the year 2000."

About 43 percent of all births in New Mexico are to single women, he says. Both parents have to be responsible. "Not paying child support is a fourth-degree felony, and violators will be prosecuted."

More funds also are available for child care, but critics worry that welfare recipients will have jobs at odd hours when child care is not available. Even if former welfare recipients have 8-to-5 jobs, child care becomes expensive for parents of two or three children, DelCampo says. Families may end up leaving kids alone or in poor quality care.

A helping hand

Barbara Martinez of Las Cruces leaves her kids with her mother when she goes to work. She had tried several times to get off welfare before being hired as a convenience store cashier last year.

"I'm lucky," she says. "This job is perfect. I work 20 to 25 hours, Monday through Friday. Nearly all the other jobs I interviewed for wanted me on the graveyard shift."

The transition from welfare to work has been difficult for Martinez for one reason. She now has less money to support her three children.

"It was kind of hard at first," she says. "I don't get as many food stamp benefits, but we've got it working pretty well now."

Extension's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) also gave Martinez an edge. Through EFNEP, she learned about food safety, how to save money by comparison shopping and how to cook nutritious meals. The program also teaches thousands of children in hands-on workshops each year.

"I tell people I don't know who my kids belong to," Martinez jokes. "They all prefer nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables."

One of EFNEP's strengths is that educators who are hired and trained to conduct nutrition classes come from the community where they teach, says Gayla Weaver, EFNEP home economist in Doña Ana County. Often, they have gone through similar struggles.

EFNEP educators like Lupe Mirabal, who helped Martinez, are seen as mentors by those they teach. Many children from families Mirabal has taught have graduated from college.

"I encourage mothers to get jobs and better educate themselves," Mirabal says. "I also emphasize how important it is for kids to stay in school, go to college or at least get a trade. If I can learn, anyone can."

Extension's Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNEP) works hand in hand with the federal food stamp program, says Kari Bachman, program coordinator. It teaches people with limited resources how to get the most for their food stamps and food dollars.

"Although FSNEP teaches the same concepts as EFNEP, it has fewer restrictions and can benefit low-income elderly," she says. "Since it began in 1995, FSNEP has expanded to 25 counties and the Zuni Reservation."

Educators also train child care providers in homes and centers through the Master Volunteer Child Care Development Program, says Virginia Alexander, Bernalillo County EFNEP home economist. The program covers importance of play, child nutrition, appropriate discipline, child safety and self-esteem.

"We're always looking for good training for our staff," says Esther Romero, director of Bright Beginnings in Albuquerque. "Nutrition and child development are very important in our field. Extension's EFNEP and child care classes taken by our teachers reinforce that."

Teachers and children at Bright Beginnings are excited about what they're learning through EFNEP, she says. Parents are just as excited about the program.

The key is reaching home day-care providers where most poor children end up, Alexander says. A collaborative effort with Parents Alliance for Nutrition (PAN), a YMCA program, allows Extension family nutrition educators to train home day-care providers in their homes.

"This way, homemakers aren't just baby-sitting," she says. "They get training needed to properly care for kids, and credit for state certification as a licensed day-care provider."

For parents of infants, help comes through a newsletter called Baby's First Wish, DelCampo says. Newsletters are mailed to parents of children up to 3 years old, and corresponds with the child's birthday so families receive relevant information about development, stress reduction and nutrition each month.

The Department of Vital Statistics includes enrollment forms for the newsletter with every birth certificate mailed in the state, she says. Enrollment forms are provided by the state's health, children, youth and families departments. "About 20 percent of subscribers are mothers under 18, and 65 percent are on public assistance," DelCampo says. "Many times the newsletter is the only parenting information families receive."

Many other Extension programs offer ways to help families and communities throughout the state. More and more, efforts are being aimed at prevention rather than trying to fix problems as they arise.

Shaping the future

Before New Mexicans can start building a better future for their children, they must tackle the major obstacle -- poverty.

Welfare reform doesn't treat the symptoms of poverty, Coppedge says. Jobs do. Rural areas should be targeted for economic development that fits local culture and blends in with social systems -- local organizations, leaders and government. If jobs aren't created, people will migrate to cities.

Economic efforts have become more focused through the New Mexico Business Retention and Expansion Program, he says. Extension works with the New Mexico Small Business Development Center network and the state Economic Development Department to help communities retain and expand existing businesses.

"Sunland Peanut Company in Portales was able to obtain new financing with local banks and attract new investors as a result of the business retention and expansion program," says Jim Shearer, general manager. "Not only did we double our sales revenue, our employment of seasonal workers dramatically increased."

In Estancia, Extension stepped in to fill a gap after the county lost its funding for an economic development specialist, says Bill Neish, Torrance County Extension agent. After many meetings and planning sessions, Colorado Greenhouse moved into the community with 80 new jobs and plans to add more.

"The Extension Service and the state Economic Development Department were extremely helpful," says Paul Selina, operations manager. "They provided lots of resources and contacts and are helping with in-plant training grants for the first year of our operation. We believe there will be future Colorado Greenhouses in New Mexico."

A greater concern for government issues also can help New Mexicans improve their well-being, says Mary Ellen McKay, family and consumer sciences interim department head. Volunteerism, leadership and public policy are important components of Extension's Legislative Days, which trains people to work with policy makers and to make a difference in their communities.

Before attending Legislative Days in the state capital, Andrea Cox, a farmer near Portales, viewed government as a cold, inhuman structure. She's no longer afraid to approach the different agencies or legislators.

"I found out that policy making starts at home," she says. "People have to go to their legislators with their concerns and let them take those issues to the Capitol."

Feldman believes that legislators should fund more preventive programs to catch kids and parents upstream before they're drowning downstream. "It's much easier to save children early in life," she says.

Most of all, New Mexico needs a better education system that offers kids alternatives to gangs, drugs, alcohol and high dropout rates, she says. This can be done in after-school activities, mentoring, foreign exchange trips, service projects and other programs.

"Our kids are tremendous resources, but they are being stigmatized as dangerous and bad," Feldman says. "We must be careful with the anti-crime rhetoric and in treating juveniles as adults. We don't want to catch the majority of good kids in that net, because our future depends on them."

New Mexico's future is in everyone's hands, Coppedge says. "The limiting factor of the state's economic and social systems also is the strongest factor -- the people. If we're consistent, educated and sophisticated about choices for our state, and we work on them, we're going to grow and succeed."