Cuidando Los Niños

High Quality Early Chidhood Education and Parent Support for Families Who Are Experiencing Homelessness

At Cuidando Los Niños (CLN), the whole family is supported. By using an all-encompassing, strength-based approach to work with children and families experiencing homelessness, CLN provides an opportunity for families to grow, learn, and become self-sufficient and successful. CLN delivers support for clients to address a variety of needs that are unique to each family, such as housing, education, and health needs. Families are typically enrolled for one year, during which time the Family Support Specialists and parents develop a transition plan in preparation for transition out of CLN.

Early Childhood Development Program

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), CLN provides a year-round, high quality early childhood development program for 52 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.  CLN also closely collaborates with City of Albuquerque Early Head Start, using the EHS Performance Standards, as well as NAEYC Standards, as criteria throughout the CLN program.

Classrooms - CLN provides an individualized, play-based curriculum for the children. The teachers develop a special curriculum for each child by partnering with the parents to create activities and lesson plans for classroom and home use. This partnership ensures that each child’s developmental needs are met daily and that the parents are involved and actively learning about their child’s development. The curriculum is developed using Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Joint Parent and Teacher Plans, Focused Portfolios, and other tools to observe and document developmental milestones.

Play Therapy – A licensed Play Therapist works with the children individually and in groups to provide support for issues in their lives. The Play Therapist also provides parent education as needed in regards to mental health needs, child development, and parenting skills.

Development and Health - To ensure long-term health, developmental and health screenings are performed for each child by collaborating agencies in the community. Screenings are done in partnership with the parents and CLN. Referrals are made as needed by the screening agencies.

Nutrition – Coordinating with a nutritionist, CLN provides nutritious, well-balanced meals that include breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack daily.  Meals are prepared from scratch using fresh and organic foods when available.

Transportation – Bus service is provided for children whose families are unable to provide their own transportation, which is approximately 50% of enrolled children. The preschool class goes on regular field trips, and the CLN bus transports children, staff and parents to and from the location.

Family Support Program

CLN provides individualized family support services through resource and referral; partnerships with social services, housing, health, and early intervention agencies; parent education classes; and family health screenings. All these services help parents meet their personal and family goals.

Action Plan – At the time of enrollment, the Family Resource team, in partnership with the parents, assesses family needs and develops an individual Action Plan for Family Success.  The Action Plan outlines services and referrals needed, collaborating agencies and service providers that will be involved, and parent education needs. The plan is monitored on a monthly basis through home visits and every three months the plan is further reviewed and updated by the parents and Family Resource team.

Resource and Referral – CLN uses a “Housing First” approach, and one of the first referrals made for a family to collaborating agencies is for housing. Additional referrals are made for physical and mental health needs, developmental services, financial assistance, life skills classes, and employment and/or education services. The family, CLN, and collaborating agencies work together to secure needed services.

Home Visits – Family Resource Specialists perform monthly home visits with each family. This meeting encompasses a review of goals; current needs; support in arranging meetings, evaluations and medical appointments; and parenting skills for the developmental needs of their children. On occasion, Family Resource Specialists take clients to appointments for critical services such as legal or medical needs.

Health Clinic – A weekly health clinic is provided at CLN through a partnership with Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless. All members of the family have access to quality, confidential medical care in a convenient location. From well-child checkups and immunizations to gynecological exams and blood tests, the clinic is able to treat a wide variety of medical needs. Through the clinic, families can also receive prescription medicines and referrals to other health agencies. Initial Health Screenings are performed for all members of the family.

Parent Education – Parents attend weekly classes at CLN on topics such as life skills, budgeting, substance use, health concerns, domestic violence, child development, stress relief, self-care etc. Parenting education topics are reinforced through one-on-one parent meetings with Family Resource Specialists, teacher meetings and home visits. CLN provides transportation to and from CLN’s Parent Education classes.

Formal Collaboration with Agencies

Development and Health - Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, Albuquerque Public Schools Child Find, Alta Mira,  Early Head Start, Native American Professional Parent Resources, NM School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Realizing Confidence and Independence, & others.

Housing – Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, Albuquerque Public Housing, Barrett Foundation, Bernalillo County, Catholic Charities, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Joy Junction, SAFE House, Saranam, St. Martin’s, & others.

Family Support and Other Agencies – All Faith’s Receiving Home, Albuquerque Public Schools Title 1 Homelessness Project, Cariño, City of Albuquerque, Children Youth & Families Department, Enlace, National Association for the Education of Young Children, New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children, Parents Reaching Out, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Resources Inc., Teacher Education And Compensation Helps, United Way, Youth Development Inc., & others.