In the following dropdowns, you will find a variety of resources and links to various organizations and agencies that support early childhood care and education in New Mexico. Please click on the section title to expand that section and access the resources. Note that these links will take you to external websites. On the right side bar, there are various hotlines and crisis numbers listed for easy access.
Resources for COVID-19 / Coronavirus
The NMDOH continues to ask all persons who test positive with Covid or have Covid-like symptoms call our 24/7/365 “Epidemiology Hotline” at 1-855-600-3453 (toll free) or 505-827-0006 for guidance on how to protect yourself and your community from the novel Coronavirus, even if you are not sick.
- NM Department of Health COVID-19
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 in the U.S.
- Coronavirus: What Child Care Providers Need to Know
- American Academy of Pediatrics – Protecting Your Family From Coronavirus (Covid-19)
- PBS – How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus
- When is Too Sick for School (video)
- ¿Cuando Está Demasiado Enfermo Su Hijo(a) para Ir a la Escuela? (video)
- Coronavirus Updates and Resources for Child Care Providers and CCR&Rs
- How to Talk to Children About the Coronavirus
- Office of Head Start: Coronavirus Prevention and Response
Cooking / Crafts / Outdoors
Mother Cloud
Sensory recipes you can make using common household ingredients
English
The Kennedy Center
Doodling lessons with Mo Willems. Video and printable activity sheets.
English
Scholastics
Scholastic has created a free learn-from-home site with 20+ days of learning and activities.
English and Spanish
Highlight Kids
Recipes and crafts to do at home with your children, jokes to lighten the mood, and other games.
English
Prescription Trails
Walking Trails in the Las Cruces area.
English
All Trails
Walking Trails in your area. Available as an app as well.
English
Raddish Kids
Raddish Kids is a culinary subscription and cooking club for children. Free recipes that can be made with pantry staples, at home cooking camp curriculum, and daily cook activities.
English
Seattle Time
23 Fun Activities for toddlers and preschool kids
English
Math / Literacy / STEM
Twinkl
Parents’ Hub contains hundreds of educational activities designed for use at home.
Offering the teachers and parents of children in schools which are closed, or facing closure, free access to all Twinkl resources for a period of one month in the first instance.
Manga High
MATH focus, offering education activities, games, and quizzes for a wide range of children in multiple languages. Offering a free trial.
Education Perfect
A rich library of curriculum-aligned lessons and assessments across the subject areas. Content is carefully scaffolded to allow all students to experience success, while providing rich opportunities for higher order thinking.
EP is actively supporting schools from over 30 countries around the world disrupted by COVID-19. Due to the on-going changing landscape, EP is providing free and unlimited access to all schools until 1st May.
English
Mystery Science
Offering a starter science list of activities to do at Home. Teacher and Parent Sign-Up
English
Age of Learning
Age of Learning provides schools closed due to the coronavirus with free home access for all affected families to leading digital education programs (ABCMouse, Adventure Academy, ReadingIQ)
English
Geez Ween
Click Here
Free journaling prompts for teens
English
Ranger Rick
Free online magazine subscription. Science and Nature activities for children to do while home during school closures.
English
77 Simple Science Activities
We Are Teachers
Math games using regular playing cards
English
Star Fall
Free program that teaches children to read. Connected with Common Core Standards
Splash Brain
K-5 based math programs online. Free for families and programs.
English
Storyline Online
Children’s books read aloud on video
English only
Cool Math 4 Kids
Math games, manipulatives, brain teasers, printable flash cards, quizzes, lessons, etc.
English
Math Game Time
Math games and homework help online.
English
Unite for Literacy
Narrated books, mostly nonfiction
15 languages
Literactive
Guided reading and downloadable activities
English
Science for Kids
Math and science games, experiments, and more.
English
Switch Zoo
Animal games and teacher resources
English
What Do We Do All Day
Books, resources, games, and activities
English
Ideas prácticas para la enseñanza del niño preescolar
Articulos en espanol sobre diferentes areas de interes de la edad temprana Ciencias, Matematicas, arte, Musica, ideas para participacion familiar.
Spanish
Find Opportunities to Play with Math! Ages 0-8
Articles with ideas of math games and activities that range in level of skills.
Audible
Audiobooks and stories for all ages. Free trial.
English
123 Homeschool
A variety of activities for preschool to school age children.
English
24 At Home Learning Activities to Share with Parents
English
The San Diego Zoo
Free pages for children filled with educational activities related to animals and the environment; includes games, videos, and virtual stories.
English
National Geographic
Access to National Geographic resources for kids.
English
Mystery Doug
A starter list of K-5 science lessons videos with explanation and activities that follow.
English
Squiggle Park
Raising reading skills, support ELL students through games designed to support their specific needs.
English and Spanish
Organization
Family Time Machine by Toyota
A collection of fun activities to do with families. Categorized by time of the day such as: bed time, dinner time, bath time, etc. Helping families make the most out of their days.
English
GoGuardian
Management tools for virtual classrooms.
English
Khan Academy
Free online platform that offers daily learning schedules, links to other online sources, and activities. Provides families with a daily learning schedule for their children to use while at home.
English
Microsoft Education
Microsoft Teams: How to set up a virtual classroom using a shared page
English
Zoom
Virtual Meeting: Teacher and programs can use this to conduct meetings
English
125 Ideas de actividades para hacer en casa
Spanish
Keeping Your Baby Safe
Handle with Care: Help Prevent Non-accidental Trauma
Crying! Just doing what comes naturally
UNM Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention and Awareness Program
Tips and Resources For Parents on How to Calm a Crying Baby
Safe to Sleep – National Institute of Health
UNM Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention and Awareness Program
Charlie’s Kids – Educating Families About SIDS and Safe Sleep
Health and Wellness
New Mexico Department of Health
New Mexico Immunization Exemption Statute (24-5-3)
Healthy Children – American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Pediatrics
New Mexico Environment Department Resources
UNM New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center
New Mexico Department of Health: Healthy Kids New Mexico
The National Program for Playground Safety
A School Nurse’s Guide to Kids’ Health and Safety
Nutrition
ECECD’s Family Nutrition Bureau
USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center
Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Team Nutrition – Child Nutrition for Families and Caregivers
Lifecycle Nutrition – Information for Nutrition During Pregnancy through Teen Years
Product Safety
US Consumer Product Safety Commission Safety Guides
Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage
Safe to Sleep – Crib Information Center
Food Allergy
Food Allergy Research & Education
Transportation Safety
Car Seat and Booster Seat Info – U.S. Department of Transportation
NM Car Seat Fitting Stations and Clinics
Find Support
Child Care Assistance – Am I Eligible Tool
Universal Application to Public Assistance – YES NM
Health Care Support – Community Health Workers
Find a Home Visiting Program to support you and your baby or toddler
Parents Reaching Out – Family Advocacy and Support
Maternal Child Health Postpartum Support NM
Child Development
As a parent, you know your child best. If your child is not meeting the milestones for his or her age, or if you think there could be a problem with the way your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves talk to your child’s doctor and share your concerns. Don’t wait. Acting early can make a real difference!
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for general development using standardized, validated tools at 9, 18, and 24 or 30 months and for autism at 18 and 24 months or whenever a parent or provider has a concern.
If you or the doctor thinks there might be a delay, ask the doctor for a referral to a specialist who can do a more in-depth evaluation of your child.
Please look below for tools related to milestones, screenings, and organizations and tools that can help if you have concerns about your child’s development.
Act Early, CDC – Concerned About Your Child’s Development
Developmental Tools and Apps
Text for Baby (personalized health information for you and baby)
Developmental Screenings
Birth To 5: Watch Me Thrive! A Compendium Of Screening Measures For Young Children
Developmental Milestones – Physical and Cognitive
CDC – Act Early Developmental Milestones
New Mexico Early Learning Guidelines
Making Moments Matter Parent Guide
Public Education Department Family Guide
DOH First Year book and video series
DOH Toddler Years book and video series
Everyday Steps to Reading and Writing
Reading Milestones, Birth to Third Grade, PBS.org
Developmental Milestones – Social Emotional
New Mexico Early Learning Guidelines
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning – Family Resources
Developmental Intervention and Support
Early Intervention for Early Childhood Developmental Concerns (FIT Program)
Child Find List by School District – Preschool Screenings
Public Education Department Special Education
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for Early Childhood
UNM Center for Development and Disability (CDD)
Zero to Three – Early Learning
New Mexico School for the Deaf
New Mexico School for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Quality Child Care for Your Child
Choosing Quality Child Care for your Children
The National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for Families
Childcare.gov Resources for New Mexico
New Mexico PreK (3 and 4 year olds)
A High Quality Program for Your Preschooler
Criminal Background Checks
US Department of Justice National Sex Offender Search
New Mexico Department of Public Safety-Criminal History Records
(Note: There is a fee associated with this search. The provider must agree to and sign the form for a search to be conducted. You should be concerned if the provider refuses to sign the form, or, questions the reason why.)
Federal Bureau of Investigation Identity History Summary Checks
New Mexico Agencies
NM Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD)
Am I Eligible – Application for Child Care Assistance
New Mexico Public Education Department
New Mexico Department of Health – Maternal and Child Health Program
NM DOH Family Infant Toddler Program
New Mexico Voices for Children.
New Mexico Association for Infant Mental Health
New Mexico Child Care and Early Education Association
New Mexico Head Start Association
Parents Reaching Out – Family Advocacy and Support
New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children
Center for Development and Disability
New Mexico Immunization Coalition
New Mexico Out of School Time Network
Cooperative Extension Services – County Extension Map
National Agencies
Department of Health and Human Services
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Association for Family Child Care
NCCA (National Child Care Association)
Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA Center)
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
Harvard Center for the Developing Child
National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health
Office of Special Education Programs
Mother Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting
PromotePrevent – Safe Schools and Healthy Communities Technical Assistance
Resources for Caregivers and Educators
Am I Eligible Tool (application for Child Care Assistance)
Public Education Department Family Guide
Everyday Steps to Reading and Writing
Reading Milestones, Birth to Third Grade, PBS.org
New Mexico Early Learning Guidelines
New Mexico Early Learning Advisory Council Meeting Minutes
NM Early Childhood Higher Education Task Force
UNM Family Development Program
NM State Child Care Regulations
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL)
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI)
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
17a Exemption for Employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
Daycare Centers and Preschools Under FLSA
Quality Child Care
NM FOCUS: Essential Elements of Quality for Center-Based Child Care Programs
NM FOCUS: Essential Elements of Quality for Family Child Care Programs (DRAFT)
Indicators of Quality Child Care
Parents’ Guide to Quality Care
Choosing Quality Child Care for your Children
National Accrediting Bodies
ACSI (Association of Christian Schools Int’l)
ICAA (International Christian Accrediting Association)
NAC (National Accreditation Commission)