More than 1.5 million American children are homeless each year- one child in every 50. In New Mexico alone, there are approximately 9,000 homeless children annually. The National Center on Family Home-lessness has launched the New Mexico Campaign to End Child Homeless-ness, with local partners to galvanize public and political will to end this crisis, acting on the belief that it is unacceptable for any child in New Mexico to be homeless for even one day. The goals of the New Mexico Campaign to End Child Homeless-ness are to Increase public awareness of the scope and impact of home-lessness on children, inform state policies to better address these needs, and improve program design and service delivery to meet the unique concerns of these children and families. The 2010 New Mexico Summit to End Child Homelessness will launch these efforts. On March 25 and 26, 2010, homeless service

March Summit: New Mexico Is One Family!

NEWSLETTER SPRING 2010

providers, children’s advocates, and state and elected officials will come together for the Summit, which marks the first time advocates statewide have gathered to specifically address the issues facing New Mexico’s most vulnerable population—homeless children. Two hundred people are expected to attend this historic two-day event in Albuquerque. The Summit will include keynote speakers from the national and state level and panel discussions with families who are formerly or currently experiencing homelessness. Several workshops presented by leaders and experts in the field will be offered to attendees. The Summit will be held at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and includes an evening recep-tion with entertainment that is being hosted by the Cuidando Los Niños Board of Directors. Registration fee for the 2 day Summit is $100.00. Please purchase your tickets in advance online from www.HomelessChildrenAmerica.org. Questions: contact Corey.Beach@familyhomelessness.org. Hotel discounts from La Quinta Inn will be available for reservations made by March 10, 2010 (code: clnkids).

The New Mexico Campaign is a coalition of organizations that includes The National Center on Family Homelessness, Cuidando Los Niños, Albu-querque Health Care for the Homeless, Albuquerque Public Schools Title I Homeless Project, Center for Social Innovation, New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness, New Mexico Voices for Children, and others.

We Are All One Family.............Page 2

A Parent's Story from Theresa..........Page 3

Play Therapist Helps the Children....Page 4

A Volunteer's Perspective.....Page 5

Your Family Can Take Action.....Page 6

We Thank Our Supporters......Page 7

Save the Date: Break-fast Event........Page 7

Inside this issue:

Helping innocent victims: advocates state-wide will join together at the Summit to

bring changes to childhood homelessness.

The mission of Cuidando Los Niños is to provide high quality early childhood development and

therapeutic services that meet the special needs of children experiencing homelessness and support services that assist their families to

become re-housed and stronger.

CLN is nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and state licensed with a 5-star rating

from the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD).

Lynn Wehrli, President Shannon Bacon, Vice President James Hartogensis, Treasurer

Debra L. Saine , Secretary Eric Baldonado, Development

Maria Cassimus, Strategic Planning Alida Davila-Larrichio, Board Recruitment

Erin Ferreira, Personnel Annie Jaques, Development/Personnel

Maren Krake-Dalton, Development Tony Pino, Development

Dr. Laura Rifka Stern, Strategic Planning Anna Romero, Development

Erica Volkers, Board Recruitment

Dr. Jaime Tamez, Executive Director

Administrative Staff Renee Purcell, Children’s Program Director

Joe Martinez, Director of Development Sharon Leach, Finance Director

Katie Sonnen, Program Manager Maria Grundy, Community Outreach Specialist

Meghan Millard, Receptionist Danielle Castillo, Receptionist

Early Childhood Teachers Luz Blea, Lead Teacher

Maria Candelaria, Lead Teacher Helen Correa, Lead Teacher

Annette Carroll Ana Claros

Megan Drolet Alejandra Espinoza-Muñoz

Blanca Gutierrez Amadore Lente Martha Unger

Family Resource Floyd Duron, Lead Family Resource Specialist

Stephanie Meyer, Family Resource Specialist

Tina Kikta, Family Resource Specialist

Parent Education Catron Allred

Therapist Carolyn Montoya, LISW

Transportation Services Richard Martinez

Abigail Aguilar

Newsletter Production Volunteers Becky Steinfeld

Barbara Glazer

A Commentary From Our Executive Director

We are A Family of Support

Dear Friends The word “family” conjures up a variety of emotions and images. The family plays an important role in society, functioning as a support system for both the individual members of the family, and the family unit as a whole. In terms of dealing with the issue of homelessness, the people of New Mexico function as a family that comes together to support our children and families experiencing homelessness. Child and family homelessness continues to be the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. The impact of homelessness is profound and long lasting. Homeless children often experience developmental delays, learning difficulties and academic problems that seriously jeopardize their educa-tional and economic success. In order to solve this issue we must work together to end child and family homelessness. We are all aware of the terrible tragedies that resulted from the earth-quake that devastated Haiti and created a situation in which approximately 1.3 million children are homeless. The United States has led the way in providing support for the children and their families who are now homeless. But did you know that in the United States, one in fifty children is homeless? The total number of homeless children in the United States is now 1.5 million children. Yes- we have more homeless children than earthquake-ravaged Haiti! In New Mexico we are witnessing a huge increase in the number of families who need our services. There are currently 10,000 homeless children in New Mexico and the number continues to rise. Given the rapid response and commitment by the USA to help Haiti’s homeless families, you would expect a similar, if not greater, surge of support for our families. Yet this is not the case. In December, 2009, the Children, Youth and Families Department cut $100,000 from our funding. We are now facing another cut of $81,700 from the legislature. These cuts are affecting the most vulnerable residents in New Mexico: children under the age of five who are experiencing homeless. The New Mexico legislature cannot balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable mem-bers of our society- children under the age of five who are homeless. Just as our hearts go out to the homeless children in Haiti, so must our hearts go out to the homeless children in New Mexico. We ask that you join us by becoming an active member of this family of service providers, individual support-ers, and faith-based groups. We CAN end child and family homelessness; but only by working together as a family…. Sincerely, Dr. Jaime Tamez

My name is Theresa. I am a native of Albuquerque. I left home at the age of 14 because of a tough childhood and moved in with my boyfriend. I dropped out of school when I was 16 and lived the life of a homemaker, cooking and cleaning. I had my first child when I was 18. My second child was born premature and died. After this, the relationship with my boyfriend dissolved and I became a single parent. I was single for a year and then met someone. We moved in together and I had two more children, four in all. After the birth of my fourth child, who was very sick, I quit working and stayed home. I started to have problems with my boyfriend and the first time he hit me, I left with the kids. This is when I became homeless, and we ended up at a shelter for four months before moving to tem-porary housing. When I became homeless I felt hurt and sad. The situation was very hard – it really hit me in the gut. My kids were also down, and their attitude changed. They became unhappy and fought all the time. The shelter referred us to Cuidando Los Niños a year ago in March. Family Support helped me to get my first drivers license! When my truck was broken into about a month ago and the car seats and stroller were stolen, CLN helped me replace them. The clothes

and shoes that have been provided for my children have helped me so much. My vehicle needs a lot of repair so for CLN to help me with the children’s needs has been a great relief. I love the teachers at CLN. They have given my children a wonderful learning environment and I have seen my kids blossom from the program. My daughter, who is now in kindergarten, still talks about the water table in the preschool room! For me, the parenting classes have taught me a lot, such as how to deal with stress and eating right. Catron (CLN Parent Education Coordinator) helped me get enrolled at Central New Mexico Community Col-lege and to search online for jobs. She motivated me a lot and encouraged me. I am enrolled in a childcare class at CNM and plan to finish that class, get my childcare license and work with kids. My advice to anyone in my situation would be to keep your head up and have faith in life. My kids no longer fight as they did and are happier and more secure now. I feel better. I am working to make sure my kids continue their education, and I hope to someday go back to school and become either a pediatric nurse or work in law enforcement. I am also working toward permanent housing and buying a new vehicle. I am very grateful to

Cuidando Los Niños Tour Dates*

March 12, 2010 Friday 10:30am April 9, 2010 Friday 10:30am May 7, 2010 Friday 10:30am

June 11, 2010 Friday 10:30am

*RSVP for your tour to joem@clnkids.org

Children’s Programs Gift Cards: Wal-Mart, Smiths, Target

Diapers size 5, Diaper wipes Nitrile exam gloves, size large

New underwear for kids 2-5 yrs New socks for kids 6 mos-5 yrs

New clothes infants: 6-18 mos New clothes kids 2-5 years New shoes kids 3-5 years

Construction Paper-Bright colors Butcher paper rolls, all colors

Children need a safe environment to grow. The early childhood education

program at CLN brings stability, learning and fun to the kids’ lives.

Office Gift Cards: Staples, Office Max

Copy Paper Manila Folders letter size, 1/3 cut

Clear sheet protectors Door mats for classrooms

Family Support

New children’s car seats Passes to Zoo, Museums,

and Aquarium

Wish List– Most Needed Items:

Theresa- Her Family's Story Page 3

Play Therapist Helps Children Page 4

A magic box with brightly wrapped paper and a gigantic blue bow arrived to the pre-school room. What were the contents inside the box? Very curious children were able to sit quietly for circle time and wait in awe and anticipation for the contents inside the box to reveal itself. The play therapist was the first to open the box. Inside, she found a baby that wanted to be rocked. Each child took their turn with the “magic box.” A lot of babies were inside- yet there were little animals, an ice-cream cone, juice, blankets, a pillow and even a fairy! The imaginations of the children were in full color during this activity. And all of the children waited patiently for their turn with the magic box. What was most endearing was when the contents were revealed for each child- their peers would give a clap of hands, showing their excitement! Although the box was empty, with no contents inside whatsoever- the creativity and imaginations utilized by these children was truly inspiring. The highlight of the activity was when one of the children who is the least verbal had a turn with “the magic.” She very delicately took out what appeared to be a baby- then, quickly put the little baby back in the box- all the while grinning from ear to ear, even letting out a loud giggle, as she too, could make magic from an empty box. For three and four year olds to turn an empty box into a box full of wonderful surprises with imagination alone, is truly phenomenal. In the world of metaphors, this speaks volumes! It is an indicator of such hopefulness. Later, we read a story of a little pig who had a special blanket full of magic inside. As always, an ordinary day can always turn extraordinary in the land of Cuidando. All you need is a box and little magic hands. A simple box can have dreams inside- dreams of good things to come.

A cement mixer and a therapist... Do they seem opposite of each other? They are more alike than we think… Here is why! It has been one year since my employment began at Cuidando Los Niños. Becoming a full time employee has been very rewarding. It means that I get to see more of our children. Yet it also means that I get to see more of our families too! When I first started at Cuidando, almost one year ago, I was only here two days a week. My main focus was on the children. I was able to readily establish a nice working foundation with the children. Because I had easily built a nice foundation, I began building the relationships. Like an architect, seeing the most beautiful building come to life- my relation-ships with the children were taking shape. The ingredients in my cement mixer of trust, nurture, validation and worth were being displayed inside of the playroom. Am I done mixing cement? Perhaps not! I have added a fresh batch of the above mentioned ingredients for the families. A special batch for the parent’s of the children. I look forward to building the relationships with our parent’s. The recipe in my cement is made especially for our families at Cuidando! Here’s a salute to our families- you are valued in this community at Cuidando. Without the ingredients you bring to my ce-ment- my recipe could never take shape. Together, we will mold our strengths into a beautiful design. by: Carolyn Montoya, LISW LCSW

Licensed Play Therapist Carolyn Montoya

Reflections from a Volunteer Page 5

I am a volunteer at Cuidando Los Niños, and have been working here for over a year with the Director of Development and his team. I’ve seen the mix of teachers and children exploring play, language development and social interaction. I’ve participated in Parent Education classes, planning for the first annual break-fast, working with the newsletter preparation, and contributing to the many public affairs projects as part of the team. I’m a transplant from Sacramento, who moved to Albuquerque five and a half years ago, when I retired. Since then I’ve been learning about the State, the County, the community, volunteering, and becoming involved with issues that feed my passion. The demographics of Albuquerque and Sacramento are similar. We are multicultural, diverse cities, with a fair amount of veterans and retirees, Air Force bases, universities, rivers that bisect the urban area, a citizenship that enjoys the magnificence of its natural environment, and a challenge to face and solve regarding the growing number of children and families who are homeless. The urgency of people who experience homelessness in Sacramento, CA. made the national news because of its tent city, which housed hundreds of folks. The Mayor, Kevin Johnson, established a task force to eradicate homelessness in Sacramento. He, along with a coalition of private citizens, faith based organiza-tions, social service agencies, hospitals, and businesses, are working together to solve the problem. Their primary focus is on developing housing opportunities, and it appears to be working well for their city. In December, while visiting Sacra-mento, I met with several people deeply involved in their initiative to eliminate homelessness. We spoke of sharing ideas, resources, becoming “sister cities” in the drive to empower those whose voice is seldom heard. It’s been over a year since I began to volunteer at Cuidando and it has been a year filled with many incredible rewards, surprises, and challenges. I be-lieve we are a resilient family, inspired by the strengths of the children and parents with whom we work, the vision of the Board and staff, the dedication of everyone who walks through the front door, and the support of many community, civic, and

faith based organizations. Cuidando Los Niños is the most unique and inspirational group with which I have ever worked. The parents who trust Cuidando with their children have an inner strength that is often difficult to see, but which carries them

through experiences in life that many of us would not be able to bear. Many of the parents are mothers who are escaping environments of family violence, protecting their children as fiercely as a mother lion protects her cubs. Along with the trust that is placed in us as staff and volunteers, comes the responsibility to honor and respect the life story of each family. Domestic violence is often what leads Cuidando families to become homeless. It is a pervasive problem in New Mexico, and several studies indicate that as a state, we are above the national average

in incidents of violence against women and girls. We, as a community, can learn from the resilience and success of the families with whom we work. We, as a commu-nity, can function as one family, dedicated to the elimination of homelessness within our city. We, as one family, can harvest resources that already exist in Albuquerque. We, with those resources, can take the actions necessary to expand programs, housing employment, and support services for the children and their families who are homeless. We, as a community must not accept homelessness for even one child. We, as a community, can become the voice for each child, until each child is empowered to speak for him/herself. We, as a community, desire the best for our children. We, as a community, want to see our children raised with hope, faith, motivation, the desire to succeed, belief in the future, and to become contributing mem-bers of the family. Is each of us a contributor to the growth and well being of the Cuidando family? Do we give as much as we can? Are we a voice of advocacy for the children? To whom do we promote the resilience and success of each family and of Cuidando? Alone I cannot solve the complexity of the problems of family violence and homelessness. But if we act in concert with each other as a member of the CLN family, we can create a symphony of purpose. We can weave our talents together to produce a tapestry which blankets the Albuquerque community and allows each child within our midst to have a stable, secure home. I look forward to meeting each of you, to working together as one family.

by: Barbara Glazer, Retired Family Therapist

What waits around the corner for the children? Our Cuidando

classrooms teach skills in a safe and comfortable setting.

Today, Albuquerque is blessed at many levels because of the families from throughout the community who choose to be involved by providing aid to families who are experiencing homelessness. And because of this caring and support, many families are overcoming their homelessness and entering a new role in the community, being re-housed and stabilized as a family unit. All members of these families are full of hope and courage for the future! 74% of families who participate in the program at Cuidando Los Niños become re-housed and stabilized within a 12-month period. If it had not been for a few families who chose to take action to feed the homeless 21 years ago, who knows if Cuidando Los Niños would be around today. One thing we do know is that it is possible to solve child homeless-ness. Families who help other families strengthen the community as a whole. The means, the talents, and the will to end child homelessness are plentiful right here in our community. Please stay involved in this cause! En-closed is a donation envelope; please commit to sup-port the mission of Cuidando Los Niños, and all families in this community will benefit. Please come for a tour of the facility and see what results are being realized by your in-vestment in this cause.

Page 6

Families Taking Action Taking a look at how Cuidando Los Niños origi-nated, it started as a family-to-family activity. Families volunteering in ministries from different churches saw the need to feed the homeless and, then, as a group of families, they committed to do just that . . . these fami-lies affirmed that it was most important to treat the homeless with respect at all times. There were several members of families from many walks of life who also saw that the homeless were not only adults, but many of the homeless were families with very young children. The families who came to feed the homeless took their community involvement to the next level - providing child development for the children of the fami-lies experiencing homelessness. They saw that children experiencing homelessness deserved quality support, education, nutrition and therapeutic services to aid their development. These children deserved the best oppor-tunity to withstand the challenges of being without a safe and decent home. Families aiding the homeless talked with their churches, with their neighbors, with their merchants . . . with anyone who would listen, "We need to help the children who are homeless." Cuidando Los Niños is active today because of the diligence and the heart of these families who did not tolerate that child homeless-ness exist in this community.

Gift cards usable at office supply stores, mega-stores, grocery stores Telling others of the work Cuidando Los Niños does with families

Coming for a Tour to learn more about building bridges for the success of children and their families in overcoming homelessness

Involve your family in actions to end child homelessness

Best Ways to Help A financial contribution to Cuidando Los Niños

Page 7

Thank you to so many families, individuals, businesses, churches, students, civic groups, and governmental entities that help sustain the work of Cuidando Los Niños throughout the year. This holiday season, we were blessed with so many generous

Mark your calendars- big plans are underway for the

upcoming Cuidando Los Niños

Breakfast Event: at the Embassy Suites Hotel.

More information to follow

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010

Changing the World, Family to Family

gifts, and we offer our heartfelt thanks to each donor, from the single in-kind contributor to the groups who organized events. Support comes in the form of financial donations, diapers, new clothes for the children, classroom supplies, grants, volunteer hours in many settings, and inviting others to come to tours of our facility. The work of Cuidando Los Niños is strengthened by this local support that comes from every sector of Bernalillo County and the Albuquerque community, and, often, from beyond. We serve families that also come from throughout the Bernalillo County area. It is most important for us to welcome families with immediate support to let them know they are not alone as they seek to overcome homelessness. In the coming year, we commit to keep all of our energies and efforts moving forward to see how to serve even more families with young children experiencing homelessness. We wish to acknowledge the many members of the community throughout Bernalillo County and New Mexico who make it a point to help Cuidando los Niños in its mission.

As one extended family, all together, a promise can be fulfilled preventing and ending child homelessness in New Mexico, community by community, family by family. Please stay in touch to learn about opportunities to be involved and to help Cuidando los Niños by regularly visiting our web site: www.clnkids.org.

Thanks to All Our Supporters

Cuidando Los Niños P.O. Box 12786 Albuquerque, NM 87195 Phone: 505-843-6899

Visit us on the

web at:

www.clnkids.org

Non –Profit Org.

US Postage

PAID Albuquerque NM

Permit No 1322

Please send mailing address & email changes, updates or removals to: elink@clnkids.org.