Updated: May 26, 2026
What’s Inside?
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Reminders/Announcements
Summer Food Service Program: Free meals for New Mexico kids at 300+ sites starting June 1
When the school year ends, the steady rhythm of breakfast and lunch ends with it for many of New Mexico’s children. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) — administered by ECECD’s Family Nutrition Bureau — closes that gap.
The basics
- Who: Any child ages 1–18
- What: Free meals (no signup, no income verification, no paperwork)
- When: Beginning June 1, 2026, through the summer months
- Where: 300+ locations statewide — parks, libraries, recreation centers, schools, churches, community centers, and partner sites
For providers, educators, and home visitors
This is one of the highest-leverage resources you can hand directly to families this summer. A printed flyer, a screenshot of the locator, or a quick mention at a visit is often what makes the difference between a family using the program and never hearing about it.
If you are a person with a disability and would like to request accommodations, or a person with limited English proficiency and need interpretation, please email Debra Candelaria at Debra.Candelaria@ececd.nm.gov or phone 505-699-2596 between May 26, 2026, and July 31, 2026.
Find a site
Search by location and time of service at summerfoodnm.org.
New Mexico Early Learning Standards
New Mexico’s Early Learning Standards (ELS) are now available in English and Spanish. The ELS are a developmental framework describing what children from birth through age 5 know and are able to do. They replace the previous Early Learning Guidelines and were shaped by community input and the latest child development research.
To support a thoughtful transition, ECECD is releasing the ELS ahead of formal implementation. This gives practitioners, programs, and partners time to review the new developmental framework and begin exploring how it connects to their work.
ECECD is developing an implementation plan and practitioner resources. These will help you understand what the ELS mean for your setting and how to use them in your work. Practitioner engagement opportunities are being planned for the coming months, and your input will directly shape the tools that are developed.
Update to Planned Prospective Payments for Child Care Providers
This update provides clarification regarding the planned transition from paying child care providers on a reimbursement basis to paying prospectively at the beginning of the month before services are provided. Due to current state and federal requirements, payments for child care must continue to be issued on a reimbursement basis. This change is the result of the following:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through its Administration for Children and Families, rescinding a series of Biden-era child care rules including the rule that required states to pay providers prospectively.
- Without the federal requirement, there was no justification for a change to state law. Senate Bill 153, introduced during the 2026 New Mexico Legislative Session, which would have granted authority for prospective payments, did not pass.
ECECD remains committed to supporting child care providers and ensuring timely and accurate reimbursement for services rendered. Child care providers will receive a letter with more information and an updated payment calendar in the coming days. We will continue to monitor federal developments closely and will communicate any future changes that may affect payment methods.
Spotlight: Gov. Lujan Grisham brings Universal Child Care to the National Conversation
New Mexico’s Universal Child Care program is drawing national attention as a model for supporting families, strengthening the workforce and growing our economy. Over the past few weeks, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham highlighted how New Mexico removed cost barriers for families, invested in child care providers and built a sustainable approach that other states can learn from. Her appearances underscored a powerful message: when families can access reliable, affordable child care, parents can work, children can thrive and communities are stronger.
Watch and read the highlights:
- Marie Claire: Click here for Universal Child Care Was Considered a Political Long Shot — Until Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham Took Office
- Morning Joe on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC): Click here for Marie Claire and Moms First announce Power Moms list celebrating women redefining motherhood, featuring the Governor live on-air
Fresh ingredients. Supporting local growers. Healthy meals for young learners.
Fresh, scratch-cooked meals help nourish healthy children, families and communities — and now, families will have a new way to identify participating programs.
At our Scratch Cooking Showcase yesterday, ECECD and Southwest Child Care in Albuquerque welcomed local growers and elected officials to unveil the new Scratch Cooking badge, which will identify child care programs preparing fresh, nutritious meals from scratch.
The new Scratch Cooking badge will help identify programs that are preparing fresh, nutritious meals and, in the process, strengthening connections with New Mexico growers and producers.
Guests toured Southwest Child Care’s kitchen and newly built greenhouse, heard from school leaders and local producers, and joined children for a scratch-cooked lunch featuring green chile chicken enchiladas and a green salad made with New Mexico-grown and -raised ingredients from Agri-Cultura Network, Sweet Mercy Farms and Backyard Farms.
Thank you to Sweet Mercy Farms, Agri-Cultura Network and Senator Natalie Figueroa for joining us!
Help shape how NM's Early Learning Standards come to life — survey open through June 2
New Mexico’s Early Learning Standards (ELS) are now published, and the resources and professional learning to support educators in putting them into practice are now in development. Your perspective will help shape that work. The survey takes about 10 minutes and is available in English and Spanish. Twenty respondents will be randomly selected to receive a $100 Amazon gift card.
Take the survey
- About 10 minutes
- Available in English and Spanish
- Closes June 2, 2026
- Twenty respondents will be randomly selected to receive a $100 Amazon gift card
Click here for the survey link →
What’s coming
ELS implementation will roll out on a rolling basis beginning in Fall 2026, starting with:
- Communication and outreach to build awareness of the new ELS
- Professional development resources that help educators use the ELS to inform their work with children and families
Important
Use of the ELS is not yet part of NM PreK or FOCUS requirements. Guidance on use of the ELS in NM PreK programs and the FOCUS quality rating system will be forthcoming.
Your perspective shapes the supports and tools that will eventually accompany that guidance — taking the survey is the most direct way to influence what those resources actually look like.
Apply now for New Mexico's Early Childhood Networks — 2026–2027
The New Mexico Early Childhood Networks provide professional development and peer support for early childhood educators across the state. Applications are now open for the 2026–2027 school year.
Networks accepting applications
- Mentor Network
- Infant Toddler Teacher Network
- Directors Network
- Home-based Providers Network
Also recruiting
ECECD is looking for Network Leads and Regional Connectors to help share information about Network programs across the state.
Stipends
All Network members receive stipends for their participation.
Apply
Find program information and application links at ecnetworks.org.
Contact
Email Rachel Droste Gwinn at rdrostegwinn@cnm.edu
Lifting Literacy Across New Mexico: Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD)grant applications open through June 1
The Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant, implemented jointly by the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) and the Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD), aims to improve the pre-literacy skills of children under age 5 and increase the percentage of students who meet the state’s language and literacy proficiency standards.
The grant provides families and educators with high-quality instructional materials, training in their use, and essential classroom literacy resources.
Two tracks
Birth–Age 3 — Open to:
- Early Head Start programs
- Family Infant Toddler (FIT) programs
- Home Visiting programs
Approved programs receive Just Right Reader Board Books to distribute to the families they serve — joyful, research-based books that nurture language development, early literacy, and kindergarten readiness.
Ages 3–5 — Open to:
- NM PreK programs
- Head Start programs
- 619 Special Education Classrooms
Approved programs receive a comprehensive literacy support package:
- Just Right Reader Science of Reading Take-Everywhere Literacy Packs™ for each child
- Heggerty phonological and phonemic awareness materials and professional development sessions
- Strive for Five Conversations — a tool to build vocabulary, reasoning, and comprehension through responsive conversations
- Scholastic Cozy Corner materials supporting oral language, literacy, and social-emotional skills
All materials will be delivered in Fall 2026.
Apply
Applications close at 5 p.m. on Monday, June 1, 2026.
Click here for the application form →
For questions,Email clsd.literacy@ped.nm.gov.
Events
June Early Childhood Community Call
You’re Invited to participate in June’s Early Childhood Community Call!
Join ECECD Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky and special guests on the first Tuesday of every month from 8–9 a.m., to discuss important issues pertaining to the New Mexico early childhood community.
The next Early Childhood Community Call will be Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
Did you miss last month’s Community Call?
Click here for the recording (Spanish translation is available under audio settings)
Presentations: Coming Soon!
Zoom Meeting Details (same link every meeting):
Click here to Join via Zoom
- Telephone: 669-900-9128 or 253-215-8782
- Webinar ID: 958 5783 9577
The Family Center’s 4th Annual Community Day
Join ECECD community partner Many Mothers in Santa Fe at their Family Center for their fourth annual Community Day from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturday, June 6. This free event will have food, face painting, live music, and activities for children as well as resources and offerings for parents and caregivers.
No RSVP required.
Professional Development
Coalition Spotlight: Bernalillo County Home Visiting Work Group: A community-built front door to home visiting
ECECD supports 18 Local Early Childhood System Building Coalitions across 14 New Mexico counties, each working to strengthen its community’s ability to deliver quality programs and services for children from birth to age 5. These coalitions advance the New Mexico Early Childhood Strategic Plan (2021–2024) and ECECD’s five-year plan, Florecer (2022–2027), through local–state partnerships and community-driven solutions.
In each issue of the ECECD Briefing, we spotlight one of those coalitions. This issue: the Bernalillo County Home Visiting Work Group (BCHVWG).
A reflective, inclusive culture
Located in Albuquerque, BCHVWG’s mission is to leverage a reflective and inclusive culture through collaboration, trust, communication, and resource coordination. As a long-standing coalition, its vision is universal and equitable access to home visitation services.
The Universal Home Visiting Centralized Intake and Referral System (UHVCIRS)
Launched in January 2026, the system gives families a single front door for home visiting support across the Albuquerque metro. The results in its first five months:
- 108+ referrals received
- 90 families connected to home visiting programs
- 18 home visiting programs onboarded and trained, with growth ongoing
The coalition developed an onboarding training package — including a step-by-step video and instructions on making referrals — to make the system easy for new programs to adopt.
A community-facing web presence
BCHVWG has rebuilt its website to be more interactive and user-friendly for families, parents, and partners across the health community. Enhancing online presence and communication across platforms — including with the broader health community — is an active priority.
Contact
- To contact Maria Elena Maestas, Coordinator, email coordinator@bchvwg.com
- To contact Angelica Vigil, Coordinator, email coordinator2@bchvwg.com
- To visit the BCHVWG Website, go to bchomevisiting.com
Live: New Mexico’s Professional Development Information System
New Mexico’s Professional Development Information System (PDIS) is now live. This free online platform centralizes education tracking, credentials, required trainings, and wages for all early childhood professionals.
Enrollment Deadlines
- Wednesday, July 1, 2026: Home Visiting and FIT programs.
Create Your PDIS Profile by clicking this link for the PDIS page on NMECECD’s website.
Support and Accessibility
- Technical Support: Email PDIS-Support@ececd.nm.gov
- Accommodations: To request an accommodation or ASL or spoken language interpretation, contact Maria Spray by phone at 505-670-8993 or click here to email at least five business days before your planned session.
FOCUS Professional Development substitution: Two college courses now substitute for three FOCUS trainings
New Mexico educators now have the option to substitute certain college courses for three FOCUS training requirements. The substitution provides a path toward higher education while protecting educator time in the classroom.
The substitution
Either of the following college courses may be substituted for three FOCUS trainings:
- Guiding Young Children
- Family and Community Collaboration
Why it matters
The change credits prior coursework that already covers the content of three FOCUS modules — reducing duplicative training time for educators who’ve already learned this material in a college setting and reinforcing the higher-education pathway as a credential-building option.
Next steps
The full FOCUS training substitution flyer lists the eligible courses, the specific FOCUS trainings they substitute for, and the steps to apply the substitution. The flyer is available in English and Spanish.
The New Mexico Panic Button: One-tap emergency response for early childhood programs
The Rave Panic Button is a mobile application designed to quickly alert authorities and simultaneously notify all on-site staff of an emergency at an early childhood program.
How it works
When activated, the Panic Button:
- Contacts authorities immediately, providing emergency responders with the program’s location and incident type
- Notifies all staff on-site at the same time, so emergency response protocols can begin without delay
- Reduces response time on both ends — staff coordination is faster, and first responders arrive better informed
Why it matters
In an emergency, the gap between an incident and an organized response is what costs the most — both in safety risk and in cognitive load on staff trying to coordinate while managing children. A single tap collapses that gap.
Learn more
Statewide CLASS Observations Underway!
New Mexico is now conducting CLASS observations to gather a statewide baseline of educator and child interactions. This effort is for data collection only and will not affect your FOCUS star-level or reimbursement rate in any way.
To learn more about CLASS, free webinars and PD opportunities are available on the New Mexico Early Learning System (NMELS). Just visit www.nmels.org and search CLASS.
Programs were selected intentionally to create a representative sample across all settings including PreK and head Start, all Star-Levels, FOCUS participation status, and nationally accredited programs. Your participation helps ensure the FOCUS Redesign reflects real classroom experiences and strengths.
Thank you for your partnership and commitment to high quality early learning.