Educadores RISE is designed to meet the unique needs of home-based child care providers. The program combines evening virtual sessions with minimal in-person meetings and individualized coaching to deliver high-quality, evidence-based training on a schedule that works for busy business owners. With a focus on innovation and support, Educadores RISE participants gain practical tools and resources to enhance their childcare businesses, ensuring quality care and education for children in their communities.

In New Mexico, there are only enough licensed childcare providers for 86% of children younger than 6 with both parents in the workforce, leaving an estimated shortfall of 23,042 licensed childcare providers.

A recent cohort of 25 participants graduated from Educadores RISE training in October 2024. Of those, 19 are licensed homes that provide high-quality home-based care to more than 150 children.

Educadores RISE benefits:

• Free training tailored to home-based child care providers’ needs
• $1,500 business stipend
• Evidence-based curriculum focused on early-childhood development, business operations, and safety
• Networking opportunities with other providers
• Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that meet state and licensing requirements
• Travel scholarships for in-person sessions

The upcoming 2025 training will be offered in English, following a Spanish-language class this year. We caught up with one of the 2024’s graduates, Rosalia, a mother of three and a home-based childcare provider based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Rosalia graduating from Educadores RISE in October, 2024

Rosalia, who raised her adult children in Albuquerque, knows from her own experience how important her work is to the community. 

“I needed my children to have the opportunity to attend a childcare or early-education setting where they could develop their intellectual development at an early age and be better prepared for a successful academic life,” says Rosalia. 

“Home care is the closest thing to what happens at home,” she continues. “They have contact with fewer people, and having a constant educator is emotionally good for them.”

Now, with over 10 years of experience, she is a seasoned home-based childcare provider who has learned new ways of enriching her career and her business through Educadores RISE training. 

"One of the topics I really liked was how play impacts the brain," she explains, noting how the interactive lessons helped her design her weekly plans and create enriching activities for the children in her care.

Rosalia now has a waiting list of families hoping for a slot in her

 home-based business. Caring for young children can be an exhausting job, and pay for childcare providers is historically low, but Rosalia says she is rewarded in the smiles and hugs she receives from children and their families and in the growth and development she witnesses every day.

“Parents tell me they feel calm and grateful for a program that offers high-quality education and care.” And she adds, “At the end of the day, the tiredness lessens and you are excited to know that you left something beautiful in each child.”

Jessica George is a trainer and facilitator for Educadores RISE.

Growing up in Mexico, Jessica’s childhood dream was to help vulnerable children who didn’t have the opportunity to go to school. She envisioned travelling town-to-town setting up a table in parks and teaching the children who needed it most.

“That never happened obviously,” Jessica says. Instead, her story brought her to New Mexico after high school. In 2022 Jessica graduated from CNM with her CDC in Early Childhood Education and is in the works of completing her Associates in Early Childhood Multicultural Education. Jessica eventually became a Program & Training Coordinator at Partnership For Community Action.

“Knowing that I get to work for an organization that cares about children’s education is just amazing,” she says of her work with PCA. “I’m not a teacher, but I am doing something good for the education of children in New Mexico."

Jessica training her first Educadores RISE class

Jessica may not be a teacher in a traditional sense, but after teaching her first Educadores RISE graduating class, which included Rosalia, she witnessed the success of 25 graduates. Of those, 19 are licensed homes that provide high-quality home-based care to more than 150 children.

As a mother to two with one more on the way, Jessica understands the challenges that parents and caregivers face in securing childcare — as well as the challenges home-based providers face and the critical role they play in communities. 

“I just hope they have a good education,” Jessica says. “Because at the end of the day, that's the only thing we're going to leave our children, right? An education. We might not all be able to leave them money or a home but they're going to have their education.”

Rosalia, center, with other graduates of Educadores RISE in October, 2024.

Educadores RISE is more than a training program—it’s a movement to uplift home-based child care providers and the families they serve. By equipping providers with knowledge and resources (and a supportive network, Educadores Para los Niños del Futuro), PCA is helping to ensure that children in New Mexico have access to quality early education.

“Even if you don’t have children, early childhood education matters,” Jessica says. “It’s the foundation for a better future for all of us. Doctors, nurses, attorneys, and community leaders start here.”

If you’re passionate about providing high-quality child care and want to make a difference in your community, apply for Educadores RISE today. Together, we can create a brighter future for New Mexico’s children.

The next training opportunity runs from April to November 2025, with virtual sessions held biweekly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30pm, and two in-person sessions which help foster community building and hands-on learning. Applications are open from December 1-17, 2024, and eligibility requires a commitment to fully participate and an interest in joining a network of advocates for early childhood education in New Mexico.

Click here to apply. For more information or questions, email Educadores@forcommunityaction.org.