Growing Up New Mexico Invests in Coaching Supports for Home-Based Early Childhood Educators

Network staff and educator leaders who participated in All Our Kin Coaching Training May 2026

“This is about helping home-based educators see themselves as leaders and change agents in their communities,” said Marisol Atkins, Escalones Coordinator at Growing Up New Mexico (GUpNM). “That shift, from just being seen as a caregiver to being seen as a professional, is huge.”

This message was the center of a recent training, presented by All Our Kin, that brought together coaches and educators from across New Mexico. All Our Kin is a national leader providing family child care professional development through high-quality coaching, business training, and leadership development.

The training with All Our Kin helped deepen this high-quality coaching approach through reflective practices grounded in the “3 R’s”: relational, responsive, and reflective. These practices help coaches build trust, recognize educator strengths, encourage reflection, and build stronger communities of support for home-based early childhood educators throughout the state.

This approach is central to Escalones, GUpNM’s statewide program supporting family and home-based child care educators through individualized coaching, peer networking, and professional development, including incentive payments, rewards, and business acceleration. The Escalones coaching model is relationship-based and educator-driven, with a focus on continuous quality improvement. Coaches support educators in identifying goals, building confidence, strengthening early childhood practices, and improving business operations in ways that are realistic and sustainable.

“This training was a great opportunity to get to know each other better and learn from one another,” said Monica Archuleta, Director of Community Programs at GUpNM. “I truly believe this is what is helping to make New Mexico stronger in early childhood and helping us give our all to the work.”

Network staff and educator leaders who participated in All Our Kin Coaching Training, May 2026