ECECD Highlights Programs Supporting Early Childhood Educators for Teachers Appreciation Week

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ECECD Highlights Programs Supporting Early Childhood Educators for Teachers Appreciation Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 5, 2021

ESPAÑOLA, NM – Today, the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) celebrated Teachers Appreciation Week with senior staff visits to day care and pre-school centers in central and northern New Mexico. ECECD Secretary Groginsky and Assistant Secretary for Native American Early Education and Care Jovanna Archuleta joined Senator Leo Jaramillo to visit Family Learning Center in Española, NM and deliver supplies and donuts to facility staff as a gesture of gratitude.

“This year, it is more important than ever to express our appreciation for early childhood educators in New Mexico,” said Secretary Groginsky. “In the face of a once in a century global health crisis, early childhood educators in New Mexico kept their doors open and continued to serve the children and families in their communities. Without their continued care and dedication, many workers who would have otherwise been forced to remain at home to care for their young children were able to continue providing vital services to New Mexicans this year.”

As part of Teachers Appreciation Week, ECECD is highlighting two agency programs that specifically support the early childhood workforce in New Mexico:

  • The ECECD Wage Supplement Program, which provides education-based supplemental wages to low-paid teachers, teachers’ assistants, and family child care home professionals working from birth to age five. Despite the important role early childhood educators play during these critical developmental years, market wages for these positions are often insufficient to support a family on. To help retain and attract talented individuals to the early childhood workforce and ensure a living wage for educators, ECECD provides supplemental income for eligible educators earning less than $16/hour.
  • The ECECD Scholarship Program. One of ECECD’s strategic goals is to build a diverse, well-compensated, and credentialed early childhood workforce. To increase the number of early childhood educators with advanced degrees and certifications in the field, ECECD offers a robust scholarship program that covers most of the tuition and fees for early childhood programs at one of New Mexico’s institutions of higher education.

Early childhood educators can apply for both programs at ECECDscholarship.org. Deadline for applying for the January – June 2021 wage supplemental period is May 31, 2021 and summer 2021 scholarship applications are due June 11, 2021.

ECECD Highlights Programs Supporting Early Childhood Educators for Teachers Appreciation Week

May 05, 2021 – PDF Download

More photos of Secretary Groginsky’s Family Learning Center visit: