Over the past three years, United Voices for Newcomer Rights (UVNR) has worked to identify and address the challenges that newcomer families face in enrolling their children in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Through interviews with newcomer families, we discovered that many ECE centers in Albuquerque were not fully meeting the needs of refugee and newcomer communities. As a result, UVNR has focused on increasing awareness, accessibility, and support for refugee families engaging with ECE programs through the following initiatives:

• Education and Outreach: Creating opportunities for refugees to learn about the importance of ECE and how to access it.
• ECE Facility Tours: Organizing visits for refugee families to tour ECE centers, helping them gain familiarity with the facilities and services.
• Linguistically Inclusive Resources: Developing and distributing resources in multiple languages to ensure families can access information about ECE options in Albuquerque.
• Culturally Appropriate Training for ECE Centers: Providing resources and training to ECE centers to help staff better understand and support the needs of refugee families.
• ECE Center Inventory: Compiling an inventory of supportive ECE centers, making it easier for refugee families to find welcoming and suitable options.

Through the support of the Kellogg Foundation, UVNR is collaborating with the Albuquerque Islamic Center (AIC) to develop a culturally appropriate, high-quality ECE center for Muslim refugees and the broader Islamic community in Albuquerque. UVNR is providing technical assistance to:

• Establish the center
• Develop a culturally tailored curriculum
• Ensure the center meets state certification requirements for public funding

Supporting K-12 Education
UVNR also plays a critical role in supporting K-12 education for newcomer students by:

• Providing linguistic and cultural support to parents and students as they navigate school systems
• Encouraging parental engagement and participation in their children’s education
• Equipping parents with tools to advocate for their children’s academic success

Additionally, students in K-12 who are enrolled in the Refugee and Immigrant Well-being Project (RIWP) receive tutoring and homework support from UNM students and volunteers.

Systemic Change Efforts
UVNR is actively involved in long-term systems change efforts to improve:

• Cultural competency among school staff and educators
• Language accessibility for refugee families
• Support structures for refugee children in both ECE and K-12 public schools

These efforts aim to ensure that all refugee and newcomer children can thrive in their educational environments while fostering meaningful family engagement and advocacy.