Child Care and Early Education

Early Childhood Workforce Development

Early Childhood Workforce Development

The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department provides FREE professional development opportunities to early care providers across the state. These opportunities are offered in collaboration with several different agencies, including those listed below. Please click on the links below to access each agency’s website and for more information about the services they provide.

Workforce Development Programs and Organizations

UNM Early Childhood Services Center

About: UNM Early Childhood Services Center (ECSC) offers a range of learning opportunities designed to meet the FOCUS: Essential Elements of Quality and the NM PreK Program Standards professional development requirements for community based programs. In addition, UNM ECSC offers training that focuses on topics including infant and toddler development, social emotional development, safety and classroom management, authentic observation, and curriculum planning. Training events can be accessed online, in hybrid format, and when applicable, face to face. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish.

Audience: All early childhood sectors: early learning programs, home care providers, NM PreK, home visiting, early intervention, Early Head Start, Head Start, and other interested community members.

Websites: www.newmexicokids.org or nmels.org

Flyers: UNM ECSC Training FlyerFall Trainings 2023 (English/Spanish)


UNM Center for Development and Disability

UNM Center for Development & Disability red logo

About: The University of New Mexico Health Sciences, Center for Development and Disability, Early Childhood Learning Network (ECLN) provides a range of professional development opportunities to ensure that infants, toddlers and their families receive high quality services from qualified and well-supported personnel. This includes interdisciplinary training, consultation, technical assistance and resource development; dissemination of accessible information; commitment to parallel process; building on strengths; bridging early childhood sectors and strategic and systematic thinking that leads to action. A culturally competent, relationship-based, and reflective approach guides all efforts. Services include customized professional development activities designed to meet the unique needs of providers and to reflect the evidence-based practices in the fields of early intervention and home visiting.

Audience: : Family Infant Toddler Program (FIT) early intervention community-based providers and home visiting programs sponsored by the Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD). On-line courses are available for all early childhood sectors.

Websites: cdd.unm.edu

Flyers: ECLN Courses


UNM Family Development Program

UNM Family Development Program red logo

About: The Family Development Program (FDP) offers training to strengthen family engagement, family leadership, early childhood collaboration, early childhood leadership development, community coalition-building, social-emotional development, and play-based learning. FDP’s statewide professional development approach to facilitated learning engages all participants through dialogue, reflection, mindfulness, and culturally responsive practice. Interactive sessions explore how FDP’s Early Childhood Collaborative Leadership Tool Kit, FDP’s Wemagination Resource Center’s Learning Through Play philosophy, along with Mind in the Making resources can be integrated in support of New Mexico goals for high quality early learning. Sessions are offered in both English and in Spanish.

Audience: : All early childhood sectors: home visiting, early intervention, Early Head Start, Head Start, early learning programs, home care providers, NM PreK, families, health councils, and other interested community members.

Websites: fdp.unm.edu or we.unm.edu

Flyers: FDP Spring 2021 Training


Central Region Educational Cooperative

Central Region Educational Cooperative turquoise logo

About: The Central Region Educational Cooperative (REC5) is funded by the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) to provide professional learning opportunities to early childhood administrators and educators in public school settings. Professional learning offered supports requirements within the FOCUS: Essential Elements of Quality for All Public School Preschool Programs; the PED’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for preschool programs.

Audience: Preschool administrators and educators in NM PreK, Special Education 619, and Title I funded programs.

Websites: www.crecnm.org

Flyers: N/A


Early Childhood Mentor Network

ECMN purple gear logo

About: Early Childhood Mentor Network (ECMN) is a professional network of early childhood education teachers interested in mentoring the next generation of teachers. We provide opportunities to engage in reflective practice and professional development with colleagues in the field of early childhood, as well as high-quality learning experiences for students on the path to be educators. We also strive to encourage teacher and director leadership in New Mexico, and create relationships between early childhood higher education and early childhood teachers in the field.

Audience: Experienced early childhood teachers interested in mentoring and joining a professional teacher’s network in New Mexico.

Websites: www.cnm.edu

Flyers: ECMN PD Spring Summer 2021


New Mexico Head Start Association

NM Head Start Association Zia symbol logo

About: The New Mexico Head Start Association is a non-profit association that provides a vehicle for directors, staff, parents, honorary members, and friends to support, improve, and enhance New Mexico Head Start and Early Head Start programs and other programs providing early childhood services in New Mexico.

Audience: New Mexico Head Start directors, staff, families, honorary members, and their friends.

Websites: www.hhs.gov

Flyers: N/A

Information

Quick Links and Useful Information
NM ECECD

nmececd.org

Early Childhood Education and Family Services Portal

search.newmexicokids.org

Moments Together NM

momentsnm.org

Am I Eligible Application for Child Care Assistance

eligibility.ececd.nm.gov

YES NM Portal Application for Services

yes.state.nm.us