State newsletter spotlights Valencia County early childhood coalition, highlights safety work

State early childhood officials placed Valencia County at the center of their biweekly December 22 newsletter by spotlighting the Valencia County Early Childhood Community Partnership. The coalition, described as a collaboration of local providers, advocates, businesses, parents and professionals focused on expanding and improving services for families with children birth to five, was credited for recent on the ground work in safety education and youth engagement.

Recent local activities highlighted include youth roundtables that create space for older siblings and youth to discuss community issues and provide input, the creation of stocking stuffers distributed to area child care centers, and a shaken baby syndrome awareness seminar presented with experts from the National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome and a representative from the University of New Mexico Hospital. The coalition is also organizing a two day safety summit aimed at youth safety and family awareness, an event that could broaden prevention work across the county.

The state newsletter placed the Valencia County work in the bigger policy context of the Governor s 2025 Child Care Summit held December 17, where panels and local action planning focused on building child care supply, workforce supports and financing for facilities. It also noted statewide program milestones including NM PreK class assessments and inclusion training, and flagged an anticipated 2026 PreK grant application opening in January as a funding opportunity for local providers and partners.

For Valencia County residents and local providers the spotlight both affirms existing capacity and creates a pathway to state resources. Coalition leaders listed La Vida Felicidad and Andrea Romero as local contacts, with Andrea Romero reachable at andrea@lvfnm.org. State training and professional development offerings were also referenced, including spring 2026 calendars from the University of New Mexico Early Childhood Services Center, and planners are urged to save the date for Early Childhood Day at the Roundhouse on February 14, 2026.

As county leaders and early childhood providers plan next steps, the recognition underscores the practical connections between local safety programs and state level funding and technical supports, and it offers clear entry points for parents and civic actors who want to participate in program development and advocacy.