Message From The President

Dear Colleagues

The first four months of this year have flown by quickly. We have seen success at legislative session, which our lobbyist, Linda Siegle summarizes on pg. 2. We had trainings on background checks and the marvelous Jane Kitson, with more to come this fall. Online training is going full force with 800 of 1000 seats filled. If you are interested in online training, sign up quickly before our free slots are gone.

As providers strive to provide quality early life experiences, we are often hit with financial resource issues. We wish we could do more, but can’t afford it as a business. We look at how we can increase our income to provide higher quality care, but often only think of raising tuition or enrolling more children. However, there are some ways of increasing financial resources without having to raise enrollment or tuition. You can work on improving the quality of your program to reach a higher star level with higher reimbursement rates. Most of you have also heard of Aim High and/or worked with the TTAP’s to raise your star value. Another way to achieve the Star 5 level is through becoming nationally accredited. Several different organizations will work with you to become nationally accredited, each with a different emphasis. I am most familiar with the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA), as it is the accreditation program sponsored by NMCCEA.

NECPA accreditation focuses on quality as well as running your center as a professional business.

NECPA looks at your program from the view of the staff, management, and parents and focuses on providing a place where children can learn, play, and grow. You can access the tools to improve your program in a variety of ways. We encourage you to pursue information on accreditation as a way of working to improve the quality of your program as well as your star level. For more information on NECPA visit www.necpa.net.

Finally, my life has been a bit crazy since I became president of the association. I was married on March 31, and am now Mrs. Rachel Davis! I am now ready to focus fully on the future of New Mexico families and support them in their quest to excel.

As always, thank you for your continued dedication and support.
Rachel L. Davis,
NMCCEA President
Rachel L. Davis