Valencia Coalition Expands Early Childhood Support Through Youth Engagement

Valencia County’s local early childhood coalition took center stage January 5 as part of a statewide spotlight on community-driven efforts to improve programs and services for children from birth to age 5. The Valencia County Early Childhood Community Partnership, a collaborative of providers, advocates, businesses, parents and professionals, hosted youth round tables and safety-focused events intended to strengthen local supports and raise public awareness.

The round tables provided a forum for older siblings of young children to voice their perspectives on community needs and to collaborate on solutions that affect families. Participants also spent time making stocking sufferers to share with child care centers, an activity intended to bolster ties between youth and early childhood settings. On the safety front, the coalition organized a shaken baby syndrome awareness seminar that featured presenters from the National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome and a representative from UNMH. A two-day safety summit was also planned to broaden awareness of youth safety issues among families and the wider community.

These local actions are part of a broader New Mexico effort. The Early Childhood Education and Care Department supports 18 Local Early Childhood System Building Coalitions across 14 counties to advance the New Mexico Early Childhood Strategic Plan (2021–2024) and the five-year Florecer plan (2022–2027). The coalition model emphasizes local-state partnerships and community-driven solutions, aiming to align early care, health, and family supports to produce better developmental outcomes for children and greater stability for families.

For Valencia County residents, that alignment has practical implications. Improved safety education and community outreach can reduce preventable injuries and the associated medical and social costs. Stronger early childhood networks also support parents’ ability to work or pursue education by improving access to quality child care, a factor that affects household incomes and the local labor market. Over the longer term, investments in early childhood services are linked by economists to higher educational attainment and productivity, outcomes that matter for county economic resilience.

Valencia County residents seeking more information or looking to get involved can contact the coalition through the Life quality for children and families – La Vida Felicidad website at lvfnm.org or by emailing Andrea Romero at andrea@lvfnm.org.