ECECD Early Childhood Community Newsletter: Monday, July 21, 2025
What's Inside: Notice of Public Rule Hearing: 8.9.9 NMAC - Child Care Facility Loan Act, plus 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
Notice of Public Rule Hearing: 8.9.9 NMAC - Child Care Facility Loan Act
ECECD is holding a public rule hearing for proposed updates to 8.9.9 NMAC – Requirements Governing the Child Care Facility Loan Act.
Public Rule Hearing:
Date: Thursday, July 24, 2025
Time: 9–10 a.m.
Location: Apodaca Hall, PERA Building, 1120 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502, and via Zoom .
Public Comment Accepted:
Email: ECECD-ECS-PublicComment@ECECD.NM.Gov (Subject line: “8.9.9 NMAC Public Comment”)
Mail: P.O. Drawer 5619, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-5619
In-person: Old PERA building at 1120 Paseo De Peralta on Thursday, July 24, 2025, from 9–10 a.m.
Deadline: End of the public hearing on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
For disability accommodations, contact ECECD at ECECD-ECS-PublicComment@ECECD.nm.gov or call 505-670-8993 at least ten calendar days before the hearing.
July 21, 2025
What's Inside?
1. Reminders/Announcements
2. Events
3. Professional Development
5. Boletín en Español
Reminders/Announcements
Apply Now! Grant for Bilingual & Indigenous Early Childhood Educators
The application period for the Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) Bilingual and Indigenous Early Childhood Educator Grant is reopening soon!
This grant provides a $1,500 semester stipend to bilingual and/or indigenous students pursuing an associate degree in early childhood. The goal is to support and grow our diverse early childhood workforce in New Mexico.
Application Period:
Opens: Friday, July 25, 2025
Closes: 11:59 p.m., Monday, August 25, 2025
Who is Eligible? You may be eligible if you are:
A bilingual and/or indigenous student from a New Mexico Tribe, Pueblo, or Nation.
Enrolled in at least three credits in an eligible associate degree program (e.g., Early Childhood Education, Infant Family Studies, Program Administration, Social Work).
Attending an approved New Mexico Institute of Higher Education (IHE) or Tribal College or University (TCU).
Maintaining a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Ready to Apply?
Complete the online application between Friday, July 25, 2025, and Monday, August 25, 2025.
Apply at: nmececd.org/2023/12/01/kellogg_grant/
New Mexico PreK Updates
New Mexico PreK continues to grow and has added a total of 46 new programs to the NM PreK family. NM PreK welcomed two new school-based providers, 40 new community-based providers, and four new Tribal programs, two of which are also Head Start.. The FY26 expansion included an additional 1,787 new slots for a total of 20,163 children that will have access to high quality early childhood education experiences.
NM PreK and Executive Function Assessment Implementation for FY26
NM PreK will begin full implementation of an Executive Function Assessment this year. Executive Function is the set of skills involved in consciously controlling one’s thoughts, actions and emotions. The acquisition of executive function skills is a fundamental part of healthy human development. Since executive function skills are essential for academic and social-emotional development, assessing them is a key task for educators. Using an executive function assessment in the classroom provides valuable insights to enhance student performance. By measuring executive function skills, educators and programs can better understand how children learn, regulate emotions, and interact with others. These insights help tailor instruction, support individual needs, and foster a classroom environment where all students can thrive. This program focuses on developing core cognitive skills identified in the pre-assessment. Activities based on the assessment support this development and the pilot program that launched last year saw great results and received positive feedback from the pilot participants. Stay tuned for more information.
View more reminders on the full-text version of the Weekly Child Care newsletter.
Join us for ECECD’s 5th Birthday Events
Teacher Loan Repayment Program Now Accepting Applications
Summer Food Meals are still available during the month of July
View More Reminders
Recommended Reading:
Jun 30, 2025: Absent Federal Support, States Become Innovators in Early Care and Education – The 74
Jun 22, 2025: OPINION: Rankings are wrong, New Mexico excels at early childhood care | Opinion | abqjournal.com
Events
Upcoming Tribal Education and Communication Calls with ECECD
ECECD hosted the monthly Tribal Education Directors Call on Friday, July 18. This recurring meeting offers tribal education directors an opportunity to come together to share successes, address challenges, and engage in dialogue with ECECD and one another.
The next ECECD Tribal Monthly Communication Call is scheduled from 9-10 a.m., Tuesday, August 13, 2025. This recurring series provides a platform for meaningful communication and collaboration within the broader Tribal Early Childhood Community.
Zoom Link: https://nmececdorg.zoom.us/j/84800582014
Virtual Event: Honoring Dads and Father Figures
The New Mexico Family Leadership Council invites you to Honoring Dads & Father Figures , a virtual event from 6–7:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 23, 2025. This event is for dads and father figures who are expecting a baby or have a child from birth to 5 years old. Join us to learn how diverse voices, including those of fathers, are needed in early childhood in New Mexico. Attendees will be entered into drawings for gift cards and prizes!
Register for the Zoom meeting here.
For questions, please email: familycouncilnm@gmail.com
National Parents' Day Webinar: Voices That Move Mountains
In honor of National Parents’ Day, join the Save the…