New Mexico Child First Network works every day to improve the lives of New Mexico children in foster care and empower those who serve them.
New Mexico Child First Network provides support and training to caregivers of children in care. Through enriching programs, services and advocacy, we empower families and youth to thrive. To ensure that all children in care receive the best care available, we recruit, train, support and retain more foster, kin, guardians and adoptive parents for children in our system.
As a 501c3 non-profit organization, New Mexico Child First Network relies on the support of donors like you to fulfill our meaningful work for your — our community and our constituents: children in foster care, state custody, and their caregivers.
“Children need relationships. There is nothing we have more research about than that. We need to rebuild child welfare, almost every single aspect, to develop excellent relationships.”
- JENNIFER RODRIGUEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YOUTH LAW CENTER
There are over 2,600 abused and neglected children currently in foster care in New Mexico.
“Excellent foster parents reduce length of stay because they’re working with the birth parents on reunification, and they reduce re-entry because they provide birth parents with an expanded natural network within their own community.”
– CAROLE SHAUFFER, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, YOUTH LAW CENTER
WHAT WE DO
Monthly virtual support group
Register now to join our friends at Foster Source for a monthly 2-hour training and support group for foster parents and kinship families. The 4th Saturday of each month from 9:30am - 11:30am.
NFPA Training Institute
Courtesy of the NFPA Training Institute, please enjoy this free training program for foster families, adoptive families and kinship care providers. Centene Corporation and The National Foster Parent Association would like to welcome you to our new partnership to bring online training to caregivers nationwide via the NFPA Training Institute.
The Learning Source
Courtesy of Foster Source, the Learning Source training classes are taught from a trauma-informed approach – helping foster parents learn new skills in order to meet children where they are and begin the healing process. These classes help make the foster parenting experience a community effort. These courses help children in foster care and their families create positive family dynamics by building trusting relationships and offering essential tools to navigate difficulties.