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LANL Foundation Celebrates the development of the Rio Arriba County Early Childhood Collaborative (RACECC) and Their Early Childhood Plan
Espanola, New Mexico—In an effort to strengthen the well-being of young children, families and communities, The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Foundation is proud to recognize the work of the Rio Arriba County Early Childhood Collaborative or RACECC. Established in August 2018, RACECC is a county-wide coalition of parents and educational, nonprofit, higher education, health care, and philanthropic stakeholders dedicated to improving the lives of Rio Arriba’s children (ages 0–5) and their families. The Foundation recognizes the need to improve health and education outcomes in or communities, and to give Rio Arriba County’s children a chance to be life-long, successful learners in oujr ever-changing world. Over the years of monthly conversations, the partnership committed to the idea of “collective impact” as a strategy to address community challenges with social determinants of health and to break down institutional barriers.
The partnership’s newly developed Early Childhood Plan focuses on four strategic goals: alignment, networking, and collaboration; equitable access to quality early childhood services; community resilience development/trauma prevention; and public awareness, education, and professional development.
“It has been said it takes a village to raise a child,” said RACECC member, Patricia A. Alvarado, Executive Director of McCurdy Ministries Community Center. “The work that RACECC is doing brings together early childhood providers to improve the way we work together to meet the needs of our community’s 0–5 population and their families. RACECC is strategic, well thought out, planned, and executed; [it is] a vibrant, tried and true model for community outreach and building healthy communities.”
With their Early Childhood Plan, RACECC ultimately aims to support groups working toward goals that enable children and families to be safe and thrive, support efforts to strengthen families, and to create an environment where all children have equal access to high-quality early childhood care, services, and education. “It is our hope that this alignment of Early Childhood efforts in our county will drive the system beyond early care and education to include strengthening resources and connections within communities, connecting families to wide-ranging supports, resources and opportunities, leading to strong, thriving communities in our county,” said Anna Marie Garcia.
“Research has shown that supporting healthy early care and education services for children 0-5, produces substantial educational, social and economic benefits for children, their families and communities” – Anna Marie Garcia
To read the full plan from the Rio Arriba County Early Childhood Collaborative (RACECC) CLICK HERE
