At least 44 states have introduced formal protocols or programs to boost oversight and monitoring of psychotropic drug use by children. Yet while other states work to limit psychiatric drugs, 30,000 NM children have prescriptions.
Archive
Warrant: Psychiatrist over-medicated hundreds of children in his care
Albuquerque doctor is under investigation in 36 patient deaths.
Experts weigh in on New Mexico’s challenges
We asked five national experts in child well-being, health, education and policy to write short essays in response to recent stories we have covered. Here’s what they had to say.
Foreign teachers pay dearly to fill jobs in New Mexico
More than 200 foreign teachers are risking their financial security for an opportunity to work in public schools.
Who should get home visits? New Mexico can’t say
The state knows relatively little about the people served by its nearly three dozen contracted home visiting providers. Nor is there an answer to how many families the program should serve.
New Mexico’s home visiting puzzle
Despite strong evidence that home visiting promotes healthy families and children, state officials have diverted millions of dollars from the program in order to fund child care assistance.
Lawsuit: New Mexico is wrongly denying child care benefits
Five New Mexico residents are suing the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), claiming the state is effectively cheating eligible low-income families out of money to pay for child care.
Many grandparents raising kids locked out of state aid
The number of children being raised by grandparents has exploded across New Mexico, nearly doubling to more than 55,000 — 10 percent of all the state’s children — since 1990. But many of those grandparents have found themselves denied assistance, often even when they meet eligibility requirements.
Emilia’s story: Family, tradition, addiction
I discovered a core of human goodness in troubled places, and it struck me as one of the great ironies that such darkness persists amidst such a culture of deep-rooted familial strength.
Spend wisely to boost child well-being, finance official says
New Mexico tends to wait to deal with problems until they grow overly expensive and challenging to solve, Charles Sallee of the Legislative Finance Committee told a forum on early childhood issues this week.


