Caregivers needed: For children, trees, land, and rivers
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Once labeled worst in the nation, New Mexico is now a model in early childhood education
For years, the state has ranked among the lowest performers when it comes to childhood well-being. So policymakers focused more resources on children up to age 5, when interventions have been shown to be key for long-term success in education and life.
Elected on an education platform, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham formed the Early Childhood Education and Care Department in 2019. Two state investment funds support early childhood efforts. In 2021, New Mexico expanded child care subsidies to cover families making up to four times the poverty line. And to encourage more workers in the industry, the state boosted reimbursements to child care providers.
Why We Wrote This
In our progress roundup, we’re focused on the ways we care for young and old. In Australia, Indigenous nations win rights to ancestral land the size of the U.S. state of Indiana. In New Mexico, child care is free to most families. And in Kenya, citizens are reforesting.
Today, about half of New Mexico families are eligible for free child care. “It’s as close as any states have gotten to trying to get at universal (coverage),” says Hailey Heinz of the Cradle to Career Policy Institute.
Source: High Country News
Jamaica halved government debt over the past decade
In 2012, Jamaica faced a ballooning debt crisis, with national debt at 144% of gross domestic product. By 2023, that figure had fallen to 72%, and it’s predicted to continue dropping.
Despite relatively low economic growth, the country turned things around with the help of a newly negotiated loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2013 and a series of fiscal reforms. These included privatizing some government agencies and overhauling the pension system. Economists also point to a sense of “fair burden sharing” that built consensus across political parties and included a freeze on public sector wages.
An innovative committee with representation from government, civil society, and the business world monitors and reports on Jamaica’s economic progress. The unemployment rate has also fallen from nearly 10% in 2013 to just over 4%. Last month, the IMF named Jamaican Finance Minister Nigel Clarke one of the organization’s three deputy managing directors.
Sources: Foreign Policy, Financial Times, Brookings Institution
A mobile app is helping everyday Kenyans reforest their country
Some 50,000 hectares (193 square miles) of forest are lost every year in Kenya, according to Nairobi-based World Agroforestry. To combat the effects of climate change, Kenya plans to add 15 billion trees, expanding its tree cover from 12% to 30% by 2032.
Scientists developed the Jazamiti app to engage citizens in the effort and improve the chances that the trees being planted will survive. Worldwide, some tree-planting initiatives have been criticized for ignoring the needs of local ecosystems. Jazamiti, whose name means “fill with trees” in Swahili, helps users choose the best tree variety for their location. The government is distributing seeds to centers, and the app points people to nearby seedling nurseries. Over 240 million planted trees have been tracked in the app as of mid-September.
Sources: Reset, Voice of America
Teenage pregnancies in Thailand have fallen by more than half since 2012
Thailand has lowered the rate of pregnancies among girls and women ages 15 to 19 from 53 cases per 1,000 individuals to 21 cases. The government has now set a more ambitious target of fewer than 15 births per 1,000 females in that age group.
The Prevention and Solution of the Adolescent Pregnancy Problem Act of 2016 is framed as a set of rights for young people, including the right to make informed decisions and receive social services. Schools, workplaces, public health facilities, and social welfare organizations give teens access to information, reproductive health care, counseling, and job and training opportunities. Policymakers are continuing to focus on reducing the cases of sexually transmitted diseases.
Sources: The Nation (Thailand), United Nations Population Fund
Indigenous nations win rights to over 36,000 square miles of land in New South Wales
The ancestral claim was first filed in Australia in 2012 and affects the Ngemba, Ngiyampaa, Wangaaypuwan, and Wayilwan peoples. The federal court decision ensures the right to access and camp on the land as well as to hunt, fish, gather resources, and protect sites of cultural and spiritual significance. The area in the western part of the state is about the size of Indiana.
Community members say the win is for generations to come. “Hopefully, this will encourage them to stay connected to their country, heritage, and culture,” says Aunty Elaine Ohlsen, a Ngiyampaa Elder and one of the original applicants.
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corp.
