New Mexico Voices for Children The New Mexico Children’s Charter The Next Twenty Years: Nurturing a New Generation

New Mexico Voices for Children launched the New Mexico Children’s Charter in 2007, in conjunction with our 20th anniversary. The Children's Charter is guided by our four Core Values:

• Economic Justice Fair and responsible tax and budget policies; economic opportunity for all
• Healthy Communities Affordable health care, quality education, and safe neighborhoods for all
• Human Rights Equality is not limited by one's race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation; human dignity for all
• Civic Participation Our collective and individual voices matter

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The Children's Charter is also our vision of what New Mexico can become over the next 20 years. Each of the following is an outcome we hope to see:

#1 No child lives in poverty (Core Value: Economic Justice)

#2 Every child and adult has access to quality health care, including mental health care (Core Value: Healthy Communities)

#3 Every family has access to affordable, safe and high quality early childcare and education (Core Value: Economic Justice; Healthy Communities)

#4 Every child has access to a public education system that is fully funded and in which resources are equitably distributed (Core Value: Healthy Communities)

#5 Every New Mexican can afford to go to college (Core Value: Healthy Communities)

#6 Our youth have access to positive development opportunities and alternatives to incarceration (Core Value: Healthy Communities)

#7 Our youth have enough positive options available to them that they put off parenthood until they are older and economically independent (Core Value: Healthy Communities)

#8 Every family has safe, affordable housing and sufficient, nutritious food (Core Value: Healthy Communities)

#9 Our economic development strategy provides for jobs that pay living wages, guarantee family leave, protect workers’ rights, and provide access to education to improve skills and success in the workplace (Core Value: Economic Justice)

#10 Our tax system is transparent, everyone pays their fair share, and it generates enough revenue to maintain necessary programs (Core Value: Economic Justice)

#11 Children and families are a high priority in federal, state and local budgets (Core Value: Economic Justice)

#12 Every family has access to appropriate credit, and predatory lending practices are abolished (Core Value: Economic Justice)

#13 Our state has and enforces strong environmental laws that protect public health and the future of the planet (Core Value: Healthy Communities)

#14 All communities, regardless of diversity, size or place, have a voice in state government (Core Value: Civic Participation)

#15 Our voter rights are protected and civic participation is encouraged (Core Value: Civic Participation)

#16 Our elected officials are held accountable through campaign finance reform and ethics laws (Core Value: Civic Participation)

#17 All New Mexicans are assured protection of their human rights and civil liberties (Core Value: Human Rights)

#18 No one experiences disparities in education, health, economic opportunity, housing, civil rights, self determination or personal power because of their race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation (Core Value: Human Rights)

#19 All immigrants to New Mexico are protected by just and humane immigration policies (Core Value: Human Rights)

#20 Every community is a safe, welcoming place for families and children (Core Value: Healthy Communities)

In order to realize this vision of a better future, we will continue to collaborate with our many allies, partners and elected officials, but we will hold ourselves accountable for reaching our goals. As this is a living document, we will revisit this charter and make course corrections as needs change. And we will ask the community to join us in these efforts. We hope you share our vision for New Mexico’s children and families. And we hope that if you do, you will raise your voice with ours and speak for the children.