ECECD Early Childhood Community Newsletter: Monday, April 27, 2026
What's Inside: Check Your Inbox for the 2026 Workforce Survey, New Mexico Early Learning Standards + more
The full-text version of the ECECD Early Childhood Community Newsletter is available on the ECECD website here . La versión completa del Boletín semanal sobre el cuidado de los niños está disponible en el sitio web del ECECD aquí .
Featured Story
Check Your Inbox for the 2026 Workforce Survey
ECECD is partnering with the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of New Mexico Cradle to Career Policy Institute (UNM CCPI) to survey early educators in the state.
CSCCE and UNM CCPI are surveying center directors, home child care providers, and center-based classroom lead teachers and assistants to 1) evaluate the New Mexico’s Infant Toddler Pay Parity Program and 2) to assess the overall impact of the state’s investments in the child care system on its educators.
These surveys were launched in mid-March; directors, owners, and classroom educators will receive direct outreach with instructions for completion.
Center directors, as well as licensed and registered home-based providers, will receive a $30 Amazon gift card upon survey completion as a token of appreciation.
Center-based classroom lead teachers and assistants who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing for a $100 electronic gift card for every 25 participants. Please look out for survey links arriving via direct communication.
To learn more and request the survey, or for questions concerning language access for the survey text 203-515-7235 or email ana.vasconcelos@berkeley.edu .
April 27, 2026
What's Inside?
1. Reminders/Announcements
2. Events
3. Professional Development
5. Boletín en Español
Reminders/Announcements
New Mexico Early Learning Standards are Now Available
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.
You can view the ELS in English by clicking here!
You can view the ELS in Spanish by clicking here!
View more reminders on the full-text version of the Weekly Child Care newsletter.
Child Care Assistance Program Act: A Historic Victory!
Update to Planned Prospective Payments for Child Care Providers
Choose the Summer Food Service Program
View More Reminders
Events
May Early Childhood Community Call
You’re Invited to participate in May’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, May 5, 2026.
Did you miss last month’s Community Call?
Click here for the recording (Spanish translation is available under audio settings)
Presentations: Click here for the Community Call Presentation from April 2026
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
View more events on the full-text version of the Weekly Child Care newsletter.
The Family Center’s 4th Annual Community Day
View More Events
Professional Development
FOCUS Redesign: Spring 2026 Training and Data Collection
This spring, ECECD is launching exploratory data collection in licensed classrooms statewide using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) to measure teacher-child interactions. This initial phase is not an evaluation of educators and will not impact your current FOCUS rating; rather, it serves as a foundational step in our agency’s broader efforts to streamline and improve our quality rating system. To understand the strategic goals behind this transition and to register for virtual or in-person training sessions, please visit the official ECECD FOCUS Redesign webpage by clicking here: www.nmececd.org/focus-redesign/. Note: While current in-person sessions are at capacity, please check the registration links regularly as new sessions are being added.
Learn more and access the full flyer of course offerings by clicking here.
Upcoming Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program Trainings from the Family Nutrition Bureau
ECECD is pleased to share information regarding upcoming training opportunities for the Summer Food Service Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program, provided by the Family Nutrition Bureau and its partners. These sessions are designed to provide essential program guidance and support for professionals across the state.
Upcoming Training
Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7, Summer Food training for Administrators and Directors, Contact Debra Candelaria by phone at 505-699-2596 or by email at debra.candelaria@ececd.nm.gov for further information.
Wednesday, May 6 CACFP administrator training in Santa Fe, and Wednesday, May 13 CACFP administrator training in Roswell. Contact Jennifer Nutt by phone at 505-670-8586 or by email at jennifer.nutt@ececd.nm.gov for further information.
View more Professional Development opportunities on the full-text version of the Weekly Child Care newsletter.
Health and Wellness Webinar
Live:…