Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2023
ECECD launches season two of The Early Show with Alax
Series adds new “Ask Alax” segment to answer families’ questions about caregiving, child development, and free early childhood resources
Santa Fe, NM – Today, the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) announced season two of The Early Show with Alax, a playful, informative online series for New Mexico families with young children, on October 16, 2023. Season two introduces a fresh micro-video series titled, Ask Alax. In this series, Alax delves into inquiries directly from New Mexico families and reports back after consulting an early childhood expert. Full episodes of The Early Show with Alax begin in December 2023. Both continue offering information about ECECD programs, early childhood best practices, and support for families.
“After the tremendous success of season one, we’re thrilled to bring our furry intergalactic ambassador of care back for a second season,” said ECECD Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky. “As a family-focused agency, ECECD is always looking for innovative ways to engage families and support them with the programs and resources they need to thrive. This new season will incorporate real questions from real New Mexico families that will feel relevant to anyone experiencing the joys and challenges of caring for young children.”
The Early Show with Alax is part of a large-scale public awareness and resource campaign from the State of New Mexico, Moments Together, which received a competitive Davey Award in its first year. The campaign helps families and caregivers with accessible and easy-to-understand tips and resources for caregivers of children ages 0-5. The campaign spotlights the state’s Child Care Assistance Program, New Mexico PreK, Home Visiting, Family Infant Toddler (FIT) early intervention program; food and nutrition programs, including the USDA Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Families FIRST perinatal case management program.
The Early Show with Alax achieved significant success in season one, promoting ECECD’s programs and services and providing caregiving tips in a fun, accessible format. The show had strong engagement generating more than 5.6 million views to date and over 23,000 new subscribers on YouTube.
“We had our first child in January of this year and we had recently heard about the Early Show with Alax,” said Kat Wright of Albuquerque. “We saw an early episode about one of New Mexico’s incredible home visiting programs for first time parents. We had heard about the program in the hospital, but it wasn’t until we saw the interview with Alax that we truly considered it. We’ve been participating in the home visitor program ever since and we love it.”
View all episodes at, TheEarlyShow.org.
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Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham launched the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) in 2020, making New Mexico among the first states to consolidate all early childhood programs and services under a single cabinet-level agency. Under this administration, ECECD has led the nation by expanding access to free New Mexico PreK, overseeing the largest investment in early childhood infrastructure in state history, and implementing cost-free child care for a majority of New Mexico families. Learn more about how ECECD supports children, families, and the early childhood professionals that serve our communities at nmececd.org. On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as @NewMexicoECECD.