Head Start Association of New Mexico

10/22/2026

October is Head Start Awareness Month!

As we celebrate the lasting impact of Head Start across New Mexico, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, a true champion for our Head Start children, families, and programs!

As a proud Head Start alumna, Congresswoman Leger Fernández understands firsthand the power of a Head Start education and continues to be a strong voice for our children and families.

Thank you, Congresswoman, for your unwavering advocacy, leadership, and commitment to protecting and strengthening Head Start!

Head Start strengthens New Mexico!

10/22/2026

October is Head Start Awareness Month. Let’s celebrate Eastern Plains CAA Head Start. Adelante con Head Start. ❤️🤍💙

Members of our team recently set up a table at Clovis Community College. Keep an eye out for us in your community. We're always ready to talk about the benefits of Head Start and Early Head Start.

If you have a child under age five, contact us to submit an enrollment application.

10/21/2026

OCTOBER IS HEAD START AWARENESS MONTH!

🗳️ SHAPING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER: YOUR VOICE. YOUR VOTE. OUR FUTURE!

For more than 60 years, Head Start has been empowering children, strengthening families, and building stronger communities.

As we celebrate Head Start Awareness Month, we are reminded that Head Start’s impact extends far beyond the classroom. We believe in empowering parents and families to become informed, engaged, and active participants in decisions that shape their children’s futures.

One of the most important ways we can exercise that responsibility is through informed civic participation.

As President of the Head Start Association of New Mexico, I encourage our programs to share nonpartisan voter education resources with staff, parents, families, and community members.

With Election Day approaching on November 3, 2026, I encourage everyone to take time to:

🗳️ KNOW THE ISSUES. Understand the decisions being made at the local, state, and national levels that impact children, families, education, and our communities.

📖 RESEARCH ALL CANDIDATES. Explore their platforms, priorities, and positions using reliable information.

❤️ MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. Consider the issues that matter most to you, your family, and your community.

🇺🇸 EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE. Every eligible voter deserves the opportunity to make their voice heard.

Our message is simple: We do not tell anyone WHO to vote for. We encourage everyone to be INFORMED and VOTE!

Throughout Head Start’s history, parent leadership, family engagement, and community partnerships have been central to our mission.

As we celebrate our legacy this October, let us also celebrate the power of informed and engaged families to help shape the future of New Mexico.

Head Start strengthens New Mexico.

Together, we are SHAPING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER!

🔗 Voter information: www.NMVote.org

10/20/2026

🚌 Head Start Strengthens New Mexico!

This National School Bus Safety Week, we celebrate the Head Start bus drivers and monitors across New Mexico who care for our most precious cargo: our children! 💛

Where offered, transportation is another layer of Head Start’s comprehensive services, connecting children to learning, easing transportation worries, and giving parents peace of mind.

Transportation Services make opportunity possible, mile after mile!

10/18/2026

Region VI Head Start Conference was wonderful! Click on the link below to see the pictures and videos.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GwKMamnGk/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/17/2026

Head Start Works!

What if Head Start's impact is even greater than we thought?

This Head Start Awareness Month, we're highlighting new research that shows the true impact of Head Start has been systematically underestimated.

NHSA's research brief, "More Powerful Than We Thought," explores findings that place Head Start among the top 10% of rigorously evaluated educational interventions for children who would otherwise have no access to formal early learning.

And the benefits reach far beyond the classroom. From increased parent employment and educational attainment to improved outcomes for future generations, the research reinforces what Head Start communities have known for decades: When we invest in Head Start, we invest in children, families, and stronger communities for generations to come.

Read the full research brief to learn more: https://nhsa.org/about-nhsa/our-impact/head-start-research-briefs/more-powerful-than-we-thought/

10/13/2026

🌟 Did you know?
Head Start programs across New Mexico support nearly 7,000 children and families through comprehensive early childhood services that promote learning, health, and family well-being.
Head Start is more than a preschool program.

Every child deserves a strong start, a sense of belonging, and the opportunity to reach their fullest potential!

THE IMPACT ACROSS NEW MEXICO IS POWERFUL!

🌟 6,978 children and families served
🌟 2,075 dedicated staff making a difference every day
🌟 31 grant recipients serving communities statewide
🌟 236 sites across 30 counties creating brighter futures

Throughout October, the Head Start Association of New Mexico proudly celebrates the educators, families, leaders, and community partners who make this extraordinary work possible.

Strong Children. Strong Families. Brighter New Mexico!

10/11/2026

OCTOBER IS HEAD START AWARENESS MONTH!

HEAD START: WHERE PARENTS FIND THEIR VOICE AND LEADERS EMERGE!

🌟 Did you know?

Across New Mexico, Head Start parents are stepping forward as leaders, elected by fellow parents to represent the voices of children and families through Policy Council service.

Working alongside program leadership, these parent representatives help shape decisions, strengthen program quality, and ensure meaningful opportunities for the children and families we serve.

But the impact doesn’t stop at Head Start! Through shared governance, parents gain confidence, develop leadership skills, and discover the power of advocacy. Today’s Policy Council members can become tomorrow’s school board members, community leaders, and advocates at the state and national levels!

These photos capture the recent Policy Council Induction Ceremony at Child & Family Services, Inc. in Lea County, where newly elected parent leaders joined their candles together, symbolizing unity, shared responsibility, and a commitment to serve.

Head Start doesn’t just prepare children for success. It empowers parents to lead and strengthens entire communities!

10/11/2026

🌟 DID YOU KNOW?

HEAD START STRENGTHENS NEW MEXICO!

🎉 October is Head Start Awareness Month!

Head Start is more than an early childhood education program. It is a powerful investment in children, a pathway to opportunity for families, and a driving force for stronger communities across New Mexico!

📊 LOOK AT OUR STATEWIDE IMPACT!

Across our great state, Head Start represents:
🏫 31 Head Start grant recipients
📍 236 program sites across 30 counties
👧🏽 Nearly 7,000 children and families served
❤️ 2,075 dedicated staff members
💰 $108 MILLION in federal funding supporting New Mexico’s early childhood education system and economy!

But our impact goes FAR BEYOND the numbers!

When we invest in children AND their families, we create opportunities that can change the trajectory of generations!

Head Start isn’t simply preparing children for the future. We are helping build a stronger New Mexico RIGHT NOW!

WHEN HEAD START IS STRONG, NEW MEXICO IS STRONGER!

Strong Children. Strong Families. Brighter New Mexico!

10/07/2026

Here is the direct link to write and submit public comment regarding the notice of proposal making on the Head Start program performance standards.

https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/ACF-2026-0595-0001