The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department just got an economic boost in the form of a $6.4 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
The grant is part of the Global Early Childhood Development Initiative, a Hilton Foundation project that takes a two-generation approach in support of the well-being of children and their parents or caregivers. A foundation news release states that “the first 1,000 days of life provide an unparalleled opportunity to set a child on a path to life-long health, well-being, educational success and prosperity.”
Lisa Bohmer, a director at the Hilton Foundaton, said “We recognize the vision and leadership of the ECECD and the importance of this moment for young children and their families” across New Mexico. She added that partnering with the ECECD will “strengthen New Mexico’s programs and services for children from the prenatal stage to age 3.”
The Hilton Foundation grant gives the ECECD an opportunity to channel additional resources into various initiatives. Among them are increasing the number of families served through the Home Visiting program by 200 annually; increasing the number of high-risk families supported through cross-agency collaboration by 100 annually; and increasing the prenatal to age 3 workforce trained in trauma and culturally-informed practices by 80% by 2025.
The grant will also help to increase by 15% annually the number of health, child welfare, and behavioral health providers who refer clients to early childhood programs and services.
