ECECD Early Childhood Community Newsletter: Monday, March 31, 2025
What's Inside: April Community Call, State of New Mexico Partners with IRS to Offer Free, Easy Tax Filing Options, 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
Share Your Voice to Shape Early Childhood Services in New Mexico
Do you care for a child (or more than one) who is 5 years old or younger? We want to hear from you! By completing the annual Early Childhood Family Engagement and Satisfaction Survey, you can help guide the next steps for the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. Every family and community is unique, and by sharing your voice, you’ll help us improve our programs for you and for families in the future. You will also receive a $10 digital gift card for your assistance! Take the survey now at NextStepsNM.org .
Partner Resources
We’re working to reach families all across New Mexico, and every community is different. If you’re a partner who can help encourage parents and caregivers to take the survey in your local area, we’ve created an Outreach Toolkit for you! All types of organizations are welcome and encouraged to help with outreach. Some example partners and organizations include:
Childcare Centers and Schools
Nonprofits
Libraries
Hospitals and Birthing Centers
Churches
Partner Toolkit: ECECD Survey Outreach Toolkit .
March 31, 2025
What's Inside?
1. Reminders/Announcements
2. Events
3. Professional Development
5. Boletín en Español
Reminders/Announcements
State of New Mexico Partners with IRS to Offer Free, Easy Tax Filing Options
The State of New Mexico has partnered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to offer Direct File—a free, secure, and easy way to file federal taxes directly with the IRS. Learn more at: https://directfile.irs.gov
If you do not qualify for IRS Direct File, you can still file your New Mexico Personal Income Tax return for free using the Taxpayer Access Point (TAP). Access TAP at: https://tap.state.nm.us/TAP
It is estimated that more than 300,000 New Mexicans qualify for this program. To date, over 1,300 individuals in New Mexico have taken advantage of it—spending an average of just 12 minutes to file their personal income tax return. For a step-by-step tutorial, visit the State’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Zo4AjoKk9Ts
Update from ECECD’s Family Support and Early Intervention (FSEI) Division
Families FIRST is proud to celebrate six nurse nominees for the 2025 Nurse Excellence Awards. The awards gala will take place on Saturday, April 12 at Sandia Resort and Casino. Stay tuned to ECECD's social media pages, @NewMexicoECECD, for photos and updates!
National Home Visiting Week will be observed April 21–25, 2025. This annual recognition highlights the vital role home visitors play in supporting New Mexico’s families and young children. Now is a great time to thank and recognize a home visitor in your community—whether it's a colleague, care provider, or someone who made a difference in your family's life.
April Activities – New Mexico Early Childhood Tribal Advisory Coalition (NMECTAC)
The April NMECTAC meeting will be hosted by the Pueblo of Isleta on Thursday, April 17, 2025. The coalition welcomed Leanora Carpio, a new representative from the Pueblo of Laguna. This month, NMECTAC will also host representatives from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, who are exploring the development of their own Tribal Advisory Coalition. Meeting highlights will include a discussion and advisement activity on the Fiscal Year 2026 Tribal Investment Strategy and updates to the Early Development Instrument (EDI) Data Governance workplan, in partnership with UCLA.
ECECD’s next Tribal Monthly Communication Call will take place on Wednesday, April 9 at 9 a.m. This monthly series shares timely updates with New Mexico’s Tribal early childhood community. For questions about ECECD’s Tribal Relations work, please contact: Mark Hume , Early Childhood Policy Analyst at Mark.Hume@ececd.nm.gov .
View more reminders on the full-text version of the Weekly Child Care newsletter.
Help Shape New Mexico’s Early Learning Standards
Sophie B. Bertrand Early Interventionist of the Year Award
DOH: Guidance for New Mexico Schools Regarding Measles
DOH: Launches Doula Program to Support Families
Home Visiting Provider Application – Coming Soon
View More Reminders
Recommended Reading:
Early Childhood Day at the Roundhouse was a blast! See the photos by the Santa Fe New Mexican here: Legislative roundup, March 18, 2025.
Events
April Early Childhood Community Call on Zoom
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 take place Tuesday, April 1, 2025—no fooling!
Did you miss last month’s Community Call?
Recordings: English │ Spanish
Presentations: NMDOH Measles Updates
Zoom Meeting Details (same link every meeting):
Join via Zoom
Telephone: 669-900-9128 or 253-215-8782
Webinar ID: 958 5783 9577
ECECD Health and Wellness Webinar – Autism and Sensory Differences: Recognizing Red Flags in Young Children
Join ECECD for a webinar on Autism and Sensory Differences: Recognizing Red Flags in Young Children , presented by Dr. Julia Oppenheimer, Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Department of Pediatrics. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, from 12–1 p.m. No registration required . Spanish interpretation will be offered. Participants may request a certificate of completion.
Zoom Link : Click here to join
Meeting ID : 853 8445 1455
Objectives of the Webinar :
Recognize early signs of autism in young children, including common symptoms/behaviors.
Identify concerns warranting…