"Why is this organization so important?"

Dear Members,

Our Association is important to you and the children you serve. The "State" is at rest. A thing at rest tends to stay that way. It resists movement. The harder you try to move it, the more it resists. The way to move the "state" is to press together as one voice, slowly but steadily, to apply pressure for changes needed to improve the early childhood system in New Mexico.

The founding members of the NMCCEA came together in 1995 and were up against a bureaucracy that was at rest. We had not had a rate increase for state funded children for NINE YEARS. Regulation change was being made without the input of the people in the trenches, the hands on practitioners, YOU and ME.

A bureaucracy resists movement. During the first few years the Association existed, the bureaucracy resisted. The harder we tried to be included, and have our voices heard, the more the state resisted. We reached out to providers throughout the state, and our association grew. We came together with one voice. And very, very slowly, the changes started happening.

We are now a well respected leadership organization that works with volunteers just like you to make changes that will ensure the health and well-being of the private early care and education community.