ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – A new report estimates there are about 10,000 homeless children across New Mexico, but Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) believes the actual number is even higher.
In the past four months, APS identified nearly 2,500 homeless students and more than 1,200 families in the metro area. Officials say many cases go unreported because families fear stigma or being reported.
Cristal Wilson, who directs APS’s McKinney-Vento program, says accurate counts are difficult:
“We know our numbers are lower than they should be. We’re not finding all of our children, youth, and families.”
The McKinney-Vento program provides food, clothing, and other essentials to families in need, but demand is growing—especially after the recent government shutdown. Donations are critical, and Wilson says items often go out the same day they come in.
