Issue Areas

in 2021, we were proud to join partner organizations who have been fighting for permanent funding for early childhood education for over 11 years in New Mexico!  Leading up to the 2022 mid-term elections, El CENTRO and our 501c4 sister organization knocked on over 80,000 doors in Bernalillo County to Vote Yes for Kids and pass Constitutional Amendment 1, with over 70% of the vote to  bring transformational change and level the playing field for hardworking New Mexico families - giving all kids, regardless of family income, a fair shot at a better future. The ballot initiative  allocated roughly $125 million from the state’s School Permanent Fund every year to the Early Childhood Education and Care Department for early childhood education and about $75 million to the Public Education Department to improve educational outcomes for at-risk students. Since that time, El CENTRO continues to organize our membership and early childhood educators at the legislature  to fight to ensure that all New Mexico families have equitable access, that co-pays are not barrier for hard working parents, to ensure that early childhood educators have dignified wages, and to ensure that immigrant educators have equitable access to a professional career ladder.