A site to search for child care providers in your area by county.

We provide services starting as early as 6 months up to 5 years of age. Our program is entirely free for eligible families and includes comprehensive services such as:

• Early learning and development, promoting school readiness and cognitive, social, and emotional growth.
• Health services, including medical, dental, vision, hearing, and behavioral screenings.
• Nutritional support with free breakfast, lunch, and healthy snacks.
• Family partnership and well-being services, offering parent and family support, assistance in reaching family goals, and fostering strong family involvement.
• Disability services, tailored to meet the individual needs of each child.
• Mental health services, supporting children's mental health and helping families understand and address their child's mental health needs.

Child Care Assistance Co-payments/WAIVED? Visit nmececd.org and click on “Am I Eligible?”

or call 800-691-9067.

Monday through Friday

Children’s Center Office - 08:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Early Childhood Program - 7:45 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.

The Children's Center is closed for the following holidays:

New Year’s Day
MLK Jr Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday)
Winter Break (Christmas Eve through January)

Comprehensive Rehabilitative Services Offered

• Teen Psychosocial
• Co-treatment
• Transitional/Vocational

• Neurodevelopmental
• Pediatric Post-Concussion Rehabilitation
• Play based when appropriate *

* We provide developmental play based therapy to children ages birth to 21.

The Kids' Science Cafe' is an after school, out of school, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational outreach non-profit organization. It is designed to support the development of educational skill sets of K-12 aged youth.

Our instructional models are based on Discovery, Investigation, and Experiential Instructional Methodologies. We currently offer a primary program (5 to 12 years of age), a secondary program (13 to 17 years of age) and run 3 summer week long activities in aviation, space and geoscience. Our staff is current or former teachers

Pre-K center for 3-5 year olds.

Los Angelitos Early Childhood Service is an early intervention program that provides specialized services and supports to eligible children and their families birth to three years of age, with identified developmental delays or who are at risk for delay.

Bilingual childcare center for infants, toddlers, preschool, and pre-k children. Inspire Bilingual Early Learning Center is a New Mexico PreK Program. New Mexico PreK programs are free to all families. Wraparound care (care that occurs before or after normal PreK hours) may have a fee associated. New Mexico PreK is a voluntary program funded by the state of New Mexico to ensure that every child in New Mexico, aged 3 or 4, has the opportunity to attend a high-quality early childhood education program before kindergarten. NM PreK begins at the start of the school year. NM PreK is free to all New Mexico families.

Therapeutic services focused on supporting the caregiving relationships that are the foundation of early development. Programs build nurturing connections between very young children and their parents, to give kids the very best chance at growing up healthy and safe.

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health therapists have received specialized training in trauma-informed, evidence-based therapies for families with children ages prenatal to six. Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) navigators provide intensive and comprehensive support services for families with children ages zero to five in order to improve social and emotional well-being and resilience.

FIRST STEPS

Leer en español: https://holycrossmedicalcenter.org/program/first-steps/first-steps-en-espanol/

Holy Cross Hospital’s First Steps Program provides home visiting services to parents of children ages prenatal to five, including fathers, adoptive parents, and foster families in Taos and Western Colfax Counties.

Home visiting services provide parents with information, support, and access to resources in our community that promote early childhood development and a positive family foundation.

We help parents adjust, grow, and change as they make their way through the ups and downs of parenthood. We also celebrate with them as their child grows and changes. Each milestone – cutting a first tooth, or taking a first step – is a joy to witness.

First Steps home visitors help prepare parents to cope with the everyday stressors associated with the transition to parenting, which are inevitable when a new baby enters your family. We work with other community organizations to help parents navigate the systems that are available to reduce those stressors. This leaves more time and energy for the joys of parenting as the family builds a relationship with their child.

Taos Nannies does babysitting for tourists, visitors, and people on vacation in Taos.

Childcare center for infants, toddlers, and preschool children, with priority given to native students.

The mission of Taos Pueblo Head Start and Early Head Start is to provide a developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant early childhood education program for all enrolled children from the Taos area, while providing comprehensive training and educational opportunities to empower families and staff.

Tiwa Babies is a service delivery that matches expectant parents/caregivers and parents/caregivers of children 0-5 years old with a qualified family support specialist. Tiwa Babies services promote optimal child and family development. Services are universal, at no cost, and provided in the family’s home or another location of the family’s choice. We offer our services to Native Families and Non-Native Families living in Taos County.

Twirl hosts onsite early childhood family classes 3x a week; classes are $5 or free of charge to anyone who asks. The Twirl Playground is open, free of charge, to families during business hours Wednesday through Mondays. Science Saturdays and Art Studio Saturdays are Twice monthly from 11-1, and Twirl signature events happen on site 8x a year, and are always free of charge

Childcare center for infants, toddlers, preschool, and pre-k children.

We respect all children by treating them as capable intelligent individuals, setting and meeting individual goals based on their own interests and providing a safe and nurturing environment for exploration and discovery.

We Believe Every Child:

• Is a capable and competent being
• Is a unique and complex learner
• Is deserving of an environment that nurtures the whole child.
• Learns through child-initiated, child-directed, educator-supported play
• Is a social being who learns through the development of relationships and collaboration with peers and adults
• Is by nature a creative and curious researcher and learns best through hands-on exploration that is relevant to his or her experiences
• Deserves trust, respect, and meaningful relationships to facilitate confidence and healthy risk taking
• Has diverse strengths rooted in his or her family’s unique culture, heritage, language and beliefs.
• Is a subject of rights, a whole citizen from birth, worthy of citizenship in the world
• Possesses hundreds of languages with which to describe their beliefs and experiences, and with which to express their learning. To respect and respond to cultural diversity

Childcare and home visiting services for children birth to 5. Youth Development, Inc. (YDI), founded in 1971, is a nationally recognized youth and family service organization in New Mexico. We can help you with preschool and child care, prenatal care, alternative education, job training employment assistance, mental and behavioral health services, homeless assistance, emergency housing, mentoring, family development services, family counseling services, and supervised visitation.

Childcare and home visiting services for children birth to 5.

Youth Development, Inc. (YDI), founded in 1971, is a nationally recognized youth and family service organization in New Mexico. We can help you with preschool and child care, prenatal care, alternative education, job training employment assistance, mental and behavioral health services, homeless assistance, emergency housing, mentoring, family development services, family counseling services, and supervised visitation.

Childcare and home visiting services for children birth to 5.

Youth Development, Inc. (YDI), founded in 1971, is a nationally recognized youth and family service organization in New Mexico. We can help you with preschool and child care, prenatal care, alternative education, job training employment assistance, mental and behavioral health services, homeless assistance, emergency housing, mentoring, family development services, family counseling services, and supervised visitation.

Childcare and home visiting services for children birth to 5.

Youth Development, Inc. (YDI), founded in 1971, is a nationally recognized youth and family service organization in New Mexico. We can help you with preschool and child care, prenatal care, alternative education, job training employment assistance, mental and behavioral health services, homeless assistance, emergency housing, mentoring, family development services, family counseling services, and supervised visitation.

Circle of Security Parenting Classes
Child Safety Seat Education and Reduced Fee Seats
Safe Sleep Education and Free bassinets
Monthly Play Group for families
Layette and Baby clothing

It starts with the right role models. And, Big Brothers Big Sisters is the place to start a relationship with one. For over 100 years, due in large part to private donations, we’ve been able to recruit, screen, match and support mentoring relationships that have changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people across the country — one Little at a time. 

Parents Reaching Out (PRO) provides support, training and tools for families of and youth with disabilities or complex medical needs. Our goal is to help family members and youth become their own best advocates in the areas of early childhood, education and healthcare.The mission of Parents Reaching Out is to enhance positive outcomes for families and children in New Mexico through informed decision-making, advocacy, education, and resources. Parents Reaching Out provides networking opportunities for families to connect with and support each other.

Contact: Beth Beers, RN IMH-E

Community Based Programs offers Family Support Services, including

● First Born Socorro and More Home Visitation Service
● Families – Prenatal for Five years of age
● Services are free to any Socorro County Resident
● Infant Mental Health Services (Children 0-5 years of age)
● Child Safety Seat Education (and Reduced Cost Car Seats for $25), Third Wednesday of every month 11 AM
● Safe Sleep Program: Education and bassinets for families needing a safe sleeping space for their baby.
● Circle of Security Program Community classes are on demand.
● Fresh RX or Family Fresh RX Program
● Monthly Play Groups for Parents with Children 0-5 Years of Age. Open to the public.
● Early Literacy Promotion
● Out Reach Services Including Run for your Life / September Family Event, booths or presentation at all family promoting events.

• 211 provides expert, caring help -- No matter the situation, the specialists at 211 listens, identify underlying problems, and connect people in need with resources and services in their community that improve their lives.
   
• United Way 211 is an easy to remember three-digit phone number that connects people to the help they need.

• Callers to 211 are looking for non-emergency referrals to the health and human service organizations in Curry and Roosevelt counties as well as to regional and national organizations.  There is no fee for this confidential service.

• United Way 211 seeks to inform and empower those looking for help, whether for themselves, their clients, or their families. 211 makes the social services ecosystem/network more efficient by ensuring people in need are connected to agencies that can help them.
   
• Some callers may have items they wish to donate or might be interested in volunteering in our community, 211 Associates will help callers find the organizations that are the best fit for them. 
   
• 211 provides unmatched, critical services -- 211 is a vital service leveraged by millions of people across North America. Every day, clients contact 211 to access free and confidential crisis and emergency counseling, disaster assistance, food, health care and insurance assistance, stable housing and utility payment assistance, employment services, veteran services, and childcare and family services.

CHINS, a local non-profit organization, has provided services for children and families in Otero & Lincoln Counties for over 30 years. CHINS employs over 100 dedicated professionals providing a variety of services designed to support and strengthen families. This makes CHINS one of the larger employers in Otero County

Each center offers the NM Pre-K curriculum to assure school readiness. With the knowledge their children are well cared for, parents can then focus on producing quality work in Otero County!

Pre K and childcare with curriculum focusing on STEM with early coding and robotics as well as literacy.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their family’s income.

VISION: All New Mexico families ​and young children are thriving​

MISSION: Optimize the health, development, education, and well-being of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers through a family-driven, equitable, community-based system of high-quality prenatal and early childhood programs and services.

Overview of ECECD Services

Child Care Services

The Child Care Services Bureau (CCSB) administers the Child Care Assistance and the Child Care Regulatory Oversight programs. The childcare assistance program helps parents/legal guardians who are working, going to school, or in a job training program with childcare expenses. The Regulatory Oversight Unit ensures that licensed childcare centers and homes and registered homes provide a quality, safe, and healthy environment for children.

New Mexico PreK
New Mexico PreK is a free program that equips three- and four-year-old children with the early literacy, math, and social-emotional skills they will need to enter Kindergarten ready to thrive. NM PreK is available in both school-based and community-based settings.

Family Infant Toddler (FIT)
All children grow and develop at their own pace. However, sometimes children have special developmental needs or health concerns that may put them at risk or cause a developmental delay. FIT provides early intervention services to children from birth to age three who have or are at risk of developmental delay—as well as their families. 

Families FIRST
Families FIRST case management services assists clients in gaining access to medical, social, and educational services that are necessary to foster positive pregnancy outcomes and promote healthy infants and children in New Mexico.

Home Visiting
New Mexico’s free home visiting program connects parents and caregivers with a friendly expert for regular, planned visits in the comfort of your home. Babies don’t come with instructions, but home visitors guide you to the answers you need to be a happy and healthy family. You can trust them for guidance on a wide range of topics including safe sleep, injury prevention, nutrition, childcare, breast feeding, and more.

Family Nutrition
The Family Nutrition Bureau administers two USDA Child Nutrition Programs: the Child and Adult Care Food Program,
which provides free meals year-round in child and adult care settings, and the Summer Food Service Program, which
partners with community organizations throughout New Mexico to feed children during summer months when public school meal programs are not in operation.

Early Head Start Collaboration Office
ECECD maintains a strong partnership with federal Early Head Start/Tribal Head Start programs through its Head Start State
Collaboration Office (HSSCO) and engagement with the New Mexico Head Start Association. ECECD facilitates partnership
between Head Start programs and the other services addressing the needs of low-income pregnant women, children, and families ensuring that efforts to meet local needs are coordinated and that limited resources are deployed efficiently in communities.

How to Apply for Services
• Step 1: Take the Am I Eligible Survey, at eligibility.ececd.state.nm.us.
• Step 2: Complete the five-minute survey to determine which programs you may qualify for.
• Step 3: Apply for services and request a referral by completing the Online Application.

How to Find Child Care
ECECD's Child Care Finder website can help your family find care that meets your unique needs. The Child Care Finder
allows parents and caregivers to search for one of the 1000+ childcare programs statewide, filtering by proximity, age of
child, quality rating, tuition, language, program type, and more. Childcare.ececd.nm.gov

Fundamentals is a 5 star full service early childhood learning and preschool center. We provide care and early learning for the youngest of learners. Fundamentals consists of 2 buildings, an Infant/Toddler House and our Preschool Center. Our Infant /Toddler house serves ages 6 weeks-30 months and our Preschool Center serves ages 30 months-5 years. We have two playground areas for each age group to explore, play, and learn in. We also have an outdoor classroom with a garden, construction zone, story area, music wall, art area, and mud kitchen. 

Fundamentals offers individualized programs for each of our little learners. Our approach is based on developmental skills and readiness instead of chronological age. As children are ready to transfer from one program to the next our staff will work closely with our families to create a successful transition.

• • Patron must present a library card in good standing to check out material.
• • Up to 10 items can be checked out.
• • Up to four (4) DVDs may be checked out at a time.
• • Books check out for 21 days.
• • DVDs check out for 7 days.

The Farmington Public Library provides print, media, and online resources as well as assistance with accessing and using these resources. The library also offers a wide variety of programs, classes, and services that promote reading, learning, and overall life enrichment.

Storytime:

Amplified Therapy is a family owned business that specializes in providing premier pediatric healthcare services to southwest New Mexico and eastern Arizona.  ATI is a NM FIT provider in Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, and San Juan County.  ATI also provides services to rural school districts throughout the southwest region.  We are committed to providing the BEST services for children in our hometown communities.

PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES
The FIT Program partners with your family to understand your child’s strengths and needs. We recognize that you are the most important person in your child’s life. Your knowledge of your child will help guide the Early Intervention process.

If your child is eligible for services, you , your FSC and your Early Intervention provider(s) will work together to develop a plan of supports and services that are a good fit for your family. Your Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) will include goals, strategies and ideas that you can use every day to support your child’s learning and development.

• Protective Services
• Juvenile Justice Services
• Behavioral Health Services
• Early Childhood Services
• Adoption
• Counseling
• Day Care Subsidy
• Childcare Expense Assistance
• Information and Referral
• Foster Care

Families FIRST is a case management program of the New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, that provides perinatal case management to Medicaid eligible pregnant women and children 0-3 years old. See website for information about this program. Clients receive the following services:

-A case intake to ascertain the client’s eligibility and to gather information for the purposes of care coordination;
-Presumptive Eligibility and/or Medicaid On-Site Application Assistance;
-An assessment of the client’s medical/psychosocial strengths and risk factors;
-A plan of care that links clients with resources that address the problems/needs identified;
-Standardized health education and literature related to pregnancy, birth, newborn care and child development;
-Referrals to appropriate community resources;
-Monitoring and follow-up with clients to ensure that they receives the recommended services;
-A reassessment to evaluate the status of problems identified, and to identify additional areas of concern or risk.

It’s My Very Own (IMVO), a faith-based, voluntary organization, seeks to make kids’ lives a little brighter by working with communities to provide displaced children with Bags of Love that meet their immediate needs.

Each bag of love includes a handmade quilt, stuffed animal, toys, books, and personal items.  The bags are age appropriate and are delivered to the local agencies charged with removing children from unsafe homes.

Farmington Preschool Academy East enrolls students ages three to five who have a documented educational need for special education services.  These students have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) with goals that are written in the area(s) in which s/he qualifies.  Peer students who model behavior and language also attend.  Waivers are considered on a case-by-case basis. Our mission is to provide children and their families a safe, nurturing and fun learning environment that supports the whole child in developing the necessary skills to construct their own knowledge and be prepared for a successful transition to kindergarten.

Roundtree Children’s Developmental Services is a contract provider with the New Mexico Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Program. The FIT Program provides supports and services to children who have or who are at risk for a developmental delay, and their families. The Roundtree team has 100+ years of combined experience working with children and families to enhance your child’s learning and development.

Throughout the years, the delivery of early intervention has evolved to family guided services supporting your child’s learning and development in their natural environment. Staff partner with families to develop goals and strategies that are easily integrated into the family’s daily routines.

• Head Start: To enroll in Presbyterian Medical Services’ Head Start center-based programming, children must turn 3 prior before August 31/September 1 of that academic year, and the maximum age is 5 years.
• Pre-K: Our Pre-K program consists of direct services to 4-year-old children who will attend kindergarten the following year, providing developmentally appropriate activities for parental involvement. New Mexico Pre-K is a voluntary program funded by the state of New Mexico. It is designed to increase access to high-quality pre-K programs, help children through developmentally appropriate services, and it focuses on academic readiness.

The Early Childhood Services Center Toy Lending & Resource Library allows parents and caregivers to borrow toys, educational materials, videos and books for FREE. All you need is an ID to borrow.

Several Home Visiting programs offered that will help parents through every stage of pregnancy and child rearing, prenatal through a child’s 5th birthday.

All MECA Therapies services can be conducted via in-person or telehealth visits

• Prenatal, postpartum and infant home visits
• Diet & nutrition education, stress management, baby supplies
• Safe sleep (preventing SIDS), child developmental screenings
• Improved Maternal and newborn health-community resources
• Counseling for postpartum recovery, family planning, & newborn needs, focused education for literacy and school preparedness for your child

Evaluation, case management, and therapy services for

• Speech and language delays and disorders
• Feeding and swallowing difficulties
• Physical delays
• Developmental delays
• Neurologic/neuromuscular conditions
• Sensory integration conditions
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Nursing services
• Families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Los Pasitos provides Early Intervention services to children ages birth to three years, that are at risk for, or that have a developmental delay or disability, get the support they need to reach their full potential. Los Pasitos partners with families to nurture and advocate for their child’s development through coaching and modeling in their natural environment so that parents and caregivers can shine while helping their child reach their full potential. Services include Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Developmental Instruction, Family Counseling, and Transition to Preschool.

• Parent Education/Home Visiting: This Early Childhood Service is designed for parents and guardians of children from birth through 5 years of age. This includes adoptive parents and teen parents, as well as expectant parents. The goals are to provide educational services and child development guidance, to ensure babies are born healthy, and to keep children safe and sound. Children’s psychological, emotional, and mental health are all addressed and parents are taught how to nurture their children through community support to ensure children are ready for school. This program is built on the belief that a parent is their child’s first and most important teacher.

• Head Start: To enroll in Presbyterian Medical Services’ Head Start center-based programming, children must turn 3 prior before August 31/September 1 of that academic year, and the maximum age is 5 years.

  We are proud to announce that our location is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Early childhood program accredited by NAEYC Accreditation of Early Learning Programs have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study and continuous quality improvement.

   

NMPreK-P (CCS) Nizhoni Elementary is a (CCC) NM PreK in Shiprock NM. This child care center helps with children in the age range of 4 years old.

NMPreK-P (CCS) Mesa Elementary is a (CCC) NM PreK in Shiprock NM. This child care center helps with children in the age range of 4 years old.