Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2022
CONTACT
Patrick Rodriguez
(505) 469-7264
Patrick.Rodriguez1@state.nm.us
1120 Paseo De Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
http://nmececd.org
ECECD Launches Family Survey to Improve Early Childhood System for New Mexico Families
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) and Project ECHO at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center have announced the launch of the New Mexico Early Childhood Family Engagement and Satisfaction Survey. This confidential new survey, which takes about 10-15 minutes to complete, allows all New Mexico parents, guardians, and primary caregivers of children up to age 5 to share experiences regarding early childhood services and programs. The results will help ECECD enact policies and initiatives intended to build upon its successes in establishing a world-class prenatal-to-age-five system.
“From day one, our agency’s mission has been family-driven and family-centered,” said ECECD Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky. “An important part of that is hearing direct and honest feedback from the parents and caregivers who are impacted by the programs and policies we create. We encourage all families with young children to participate in our family engagement and satisfaction survey so that ECECD can ensure that New Mexico’s early childhood system is tailored to meet their needs.”
In accordance with the goals and objectives laid out in its New Mexico Early Childhood Strategic Plan (2021-2024), the outcome of the survey will help ECECD to better recognize New Mexico families as key decision makers and ensure they have access to the resources needed to thrive. Objectives essential to achieving this goal include:
- Ensure that 70% of early childhood programs and services are designed to support households that are multilingual, multi-generational, culturally diverse, and/or with children who have developmental delays or disabilities
- Provide full program access to families by addressing languages, availability, delays and disabilities, and other barriers to accessing needed programs and services
- Increase parent and caregiver awareness of early childhood services by 15% annually
Since ECECD’s inception in July 2020, the department has made significant investments across the state’s early childhood system to boost PreK enrollment, broaden home visiting services, expand child care assistance, support early childhood coalitions, and connect with families through its award-winning Moments Together public education campaign.
“The commitment of the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department to truly hear the voices of all kinds of families throughout New Mexico and use that in shaping early childhood education and care programs and services for New Mexicans is very heartening,” said Soraya Gollop, Ph.D., strategic support manager for Project ECHO. “Our future is shaped by our children and making sure they have what they really need is so important.”
The survey is available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Participants may also download a bilingual Navajo/ English version of the survey in PDF at https://sforce.co/3Nz9ZcC. The survey will remain open until May 14, 2022. For more information, visit https://hsc.unm.edu/echo/partner-portal/programs/education/survey.html.
The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) launched in 2020, one of only four cabinet level agencies nationwide that consolidated all early childhood agencies under one roof. ECECD’s mission is to optimize the health, development, education, and well being of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers through a family-driven, equitable, community-based system of programs and services. Learn more about how ECECD supports children, families, and the early childhood professionals that serve our communities at nmececd.org. On Facebook and Twitter as @NewMexicoECECD.