courtesy Kate Noble
New Mexico Early Childhood
Development Partnership/
United Way of Santa Fe County
NEW MEXICO — New Mexico has been selected by the Pritzker Children’s Initiative to receive a $1 million, three-year grant to improve outcomes for infants and toddlers after completion of a planning grant in 2019. New Mexico is one of nineteen states receiving funding under this initiative.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to connect local issues and solutions to a national community supporting young children. With the launch of the new Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD), we have a unique opportunity to improve our systems and supports for families raising young children in New Mexico,” said ECECD Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky.
The New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership, the policy arm of United Way of Santa Fe County, will manage the grant in close partnership with the State of New Mexico, including the Children’s Cabinet and ECECD.
“A strong public-private partnership is critically important in doing this work and building upon the progress we have made as a state. Over more than a decade, the hard work of people inside and outside government means we now have a strong coalition and we know what we need to do to make big improvements for our youngest children,” said Katherine Freeman, President and CEO of the New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership and United Way of Santa Fe County.
After the successful 2019 planning grant from the Pritzker Children’s Initiative, with over 30 organizations forming the Prenatal to Three Coalition, New Mexico is moving into the implementation phase of this large-scale project.
“Supporting strong prenatal-to-three efforts in states across the nation is key to expanding the numbers of young children in the United States with access to high quality programs and services. We believe that setting infants and toddlers on the path to success in school and in life is work on which we can all agree. We are pleased to support the shared priorities of ECECD and the New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership through this grant and want to build on all of the great work being done by the outstanding public and private partners that have come together on behalf of the state’s youngest children,” said Gerry Cobb, Director of the Prtizker Children’s Initiative.
As part of the project launch, the Steering Committee is being revitalized, and cost modeling for child care and home visiting will begin.
The launch event and cost modeling kickoff is scheduled from 9-11 a.m. on July 14, 2020 and will feature Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky, former Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, and other leaders, plus a dialogue with early childhood professionals and families.
For more information, please contact Kate Noble, VP for Policy and Stakeholder Engagement, New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership, at 917-721-5977 or katen@nmecdp.org.
United Way of Santa Fe County’s (UWSFC) mission is to engage the whole community, bringing together people and resources to create increased opportunities for children and families to achieve their dreams and aspirations. In order to achieve a community where all children succeed in school and life, UWSFC employs a multi-generation approach, supporting both children and their families.
New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership (NMECDP) directs UWSFC’s early childhood care and education policy efforts and is dedicated to creating the public awareness and political will for investment in early childhood education in New Mexico.
Through its Pritzker Children’s Initiative, the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation has been a champion of quality early learning for almost two decades. The Pritzker Children’s Initiative supports organizations and coalitions in states and communities to promote high quality early learning and development.
