ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Military veteran David Hutchinson, his wife and two young daughters have been living at an Albuquerque homeless shelter for the past six months.
They are among many families in the U.S. that have been trying to raise children in the face of joblessness and homelessness.
An annual survey released Monday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows the rate of children living in poverty increased to 23 percent in 2011.
The Southwest has been hit particularly hard. New Mexico, for the first time, has slipped to worst in the nation when it comes to child well-being.
New Mexico is followed in the rankings by Mississippi, Nevada and Arizona.
Overall, the report shows there have been gains in education and health nationally, but since 2005, there have been serious setbacks when it comes to the economic well-being of children.
