SFCF News:
SANTA FE — The Santa Fe Baby Fund, an initiative of the Santa Fe Community Foundation (SFCC) that supports infant and toddler wellbeing, has announced $100,000 in grants to 11 local nonprofit organizations.
This year marks the fund’s largest round of grantmaking in its decade-long history.
The Santa Fe Baby Fund has five priority areas for funding: increasing access to high quality, affordable infant and toddler care; supporting the early childhood workforce; improving access to reproductive health services for adolescents and young adults; supporting young parents ages 24 and under and their infants and toddlers; and/or supporting grandparents or other non-parent kin raising infants and toddlers.
2022 Grantees include:
- Barrios Unidos Chimayo;
- Gerard’s House;
- Las Cumbres Community Services – Conjunto Preschool;
- Many Mothers;
- Pegasus Legal Services for Children – Kinship Guardianship;
- Presbyterian Ear Institute;
- Santa Fe Recovery Center – Women and Children’s Program;
- Santa Fe Community College – First Born Program;
- St. Elizabeth’s Shelter – Casa Familia;
- The Food Depot – Diaper Depot Program; and
- Growing Up New Mexico – Early Learning Center at Kaune.
Despite strong demand, childcare shortages across Santa Fe remain one of most significant barriers to parents and caregivers reentering the workforce. The need for high quality, affordable childcare has been especially acute in recent years following the pandemic.
“We are thrilled to honor the Santa Fe Baby Fund’s 10th anniversary year with its largest round of grantmaking to date,” said Christopher Goett, President & CEO of the Santa Fe Community Foundation. “Funding organizations that make early childhood education and care more equitable is an investment in the wellbeing of our whole community.”
Last year, the fund awarded $45,000 to Fathers New Mexico, Gerard’s House, Santa Fe Recovery Center and Presbyterian Medical Services.
The Santa Fe Baby Fund was founded in 2012 with a seed gift from the Brindle Foundation to give Santa Fe’s youngest the best start in life possible. Research has repeatedly shown that early childhood, particularly ages prenatal to three years, is a critical developmental period with a lifelong impact on educational, social, physical, and cognitive development. To date, the fund has awarded $450,000.
