ALBUQUERQUE, NM – On May 13 and 14, the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) and the New Mexico Head Start Association convened leadership from Head Start and Early Head Start programs from across the state, both Regional and Tribal Head Start, for a two-day strategy and planning retreat. This summit marks the first time that the State of New Mexico’s early childhood system and federal Head Start recipients have met to plan and strategize how to strengthen collaboration and partnerships and better align programs and services to meet the needs of children and families.

“Like so many other New Mexicans, Head Start has had a profound impact on the trajectory of my life, equipping me with the skills and confidence I needed to thrive in school and beyond,” said New Mexico Lt. Governor Howie Morales. “New Mexico has much to learn from Head Start as we build a world class early childhood system for children and families in our state. We are confident that continued collaboration between our programs will make us both stronger and more effective in furthering our shared vision for New Mexico.”

“This is a historic moment for New Mexico,” said ECECD Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky. “We were thrilled to be in community with the state’s Tribal and Regional Head Start and Early Head Start programs to dream and plan together on how we can achieve our collective hopes and aspirations for families and children in New Mexico. The theme of our retreat, Leading the Nation, Building the Future TOGETHER!, emphasizes strong federal, state, and local partnerships – the key to a robust, family-centered mixed delivery system.”

“For nearly 60 years, Head Start has supported generations of children from low-income families with programs and services proven to enhance social-emotional development, cognition, and school readiness,” said Crystal Peña, President of the New Mexico Head Start Association. “This summit has cemented cooperation and coordination between the federal, state, and local early childhood systems in New Mexico, laying the groundwork for years of fruitful collaboration moving forward.”

More than 100 leaders representing Head Start recipients from around the state joined ECECD leadership, and local early childhood system building coalition leaders and Early Childhood Tribal Advisory Coalition leaders for two days of discussion and planning, sharing perspectives, exchanging ideas, and providing input that will shape the state’s prenatal-to-five early childhood system. Featured speakers included Khari Garvin, Director of the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and New Mexico Lt. Governor Howie Morales, a former educator, Head Start alumnus, and one of the architects of New Mexico’s groundbreaking early childhood system.

Because of the integral role that Head Start plays in the New Mexico early childhood ecosystem, ECECD has prioritized collaboration with Head Start and actively sought out ways the agency can support their important mission. Since ECECD’s founding in 2021, it has:

• Distributed 88 emergency stabilization grants totaling more than $10 million to support New Mexico Head Start programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Supported competitive compensation and enhanced credentials for Head Start staff through incentive payments, pay parity programs, and scholarships.
• Integrated NM PreK into existing Head Start programs by funding 1,024 NM PreK slots in 56 Head Start classrooms and providing dual enrollment opportunities for 892 children and blended enrollment for an additional 132 children.
• Offered New Mexico PreK grants to Tribal Head Start programs, which created capacity for 554 additional children across five Tribal communities. 

ECECD seeks input from families and key stakeholders on FOCUS redesign

SANTA FE – Today, the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) opened a new survey to gather input from New Mexico families, child care centers, family child care homes, and child care teachers regarding a planned multi-year effort to update and redesign FOCUS, the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). The redesign is part of an $18 million investment that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham secured during the 2024 legislative session to improve the quality of early education and care in New Mexico.

“The research is clear: investments in quality early learning environments will improve our state’s educational and health outcomes,” said ECECD Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky. “That’s why Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has made universal access to high-quality early care and education a top priority. We’re calling on families, educators, and providers to help ECECD build a strong quality rating and improvement system that reflects their values. By making their voices heard through the FOCUS redesign survey, they will help inform ECECD’s redesigned child care quality rating and improvement system.”
 
A QRIS is a system for improving and communicating the level of quality in early childhood education and care settings. New Mexico’s current QRIS, FOCUS, assigns quality ratings to child care providers based on a number of factors, including: 

• Teacher/child ratios 
• Professional qualifications and training of staff  
• Family Engagement
• Inclusive Practices for Children with Developmental Delays or Disabilities
• Culture and Language Including the Support of Dual Language Learners
• Promoting Social Relationships
• Attention to Children’s Health and Wellness (Including Early Intervention support)
• Developmental Screening
• Child Observation and Documentation for Assessment, Curriculum and Planning the Classroom Environment
• Continuous Quality Improvement 

 
A QRIS helps strengthen early education and care programs, provides a roadmap for quality improvement, and helps families identify which programs will best meet their needs. Most states revise their QRIS every three to five years. The last revision for New Mexico was in May 2015. 

In fall 2023, ECECD conducted community focus groups to gather input on the FOCUS redesign and is now soliciting additional input using a survey format. The survey will gather input from across the state on the proposed framework for the redesign of FOCUS. ECECD is also engaging with national experts to understand best practices across the country and lessons learned from other states. 
 
“Tapping the knowledge and experience of the early childhood education and care community is crucial to this redesign process,” said Angela Garcia, owner of the Toy Box Early Learning Centers and President of Full Circle Advocacy Group. “The amazing individuals doing this work can help us create a high-quality early childhood education system that is centered around the unique needs of each community and family.”
 
To learn more about the ongoing efforts to redesign New Mexico’s QRIS, visit ECECD’s FOCUS redesign website.