Early Childhood Education

Our children are the foundation of our future. Without them, we have no future.

The development of children is most affected by their experiences in the prenatal and early formative years (ages 0 to 5). This time is critical for establishing how the children will function in life. Neglect or inadequate education during these years adversely affects children’s brain development. The result is higher costs for behavioral healthcare and prison facilities. A small investment in early childhood education is well worth the investment.

For a very powerful video that shows that childhood trauma often
results in incarceration later in life, watch
https://compassionprisonproject.org/
It is not a quick fix, but it is the only real solution.

Early Childhood Education was extremely important to my mentor, NM State Representative William Pratt, who passed away last year. I hope to continue his legacy by strongly supporting this issue.

In 2020, the NM legislature invested in early childhood development by funding the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. It appears that Covid 19 has stalled the work of this department. As your representative I will work to assure this department is funded and staffed.

I would have supported the bill HB148, introduced in the 2020 session which would have increased the working families tax credit to better support our working families. My opponent, Alonzo Baldonado, voted against this bill.