Coalition Spotlight

Coalition - Bernalillo County Home Visitor's Work Group (BCHVWG)

Coordinator - Maria Elena Maestas ( maria.elena13@comcast.net)
FDP Liaison - Lindsey Lopez

The Bernalillo County Home Visiting Work Group Coalition began in 2010 with a dedicated team from local home visiting programs. This volunteer group created an inclusive space for sharing resources. They continue to volunteer passionately, collaborating with partners, families, community members, and stakeholders. Our coalition works to build a supportive network that addresses the needs of our families. We believe that children and families thrive with quality home visitation programs. The BCHVWG Coalition promotes Early Childhood Programs in Bernalillo County and New Mexico.

Our goal is to unite home visiting programs to best support families through preventive measures, positively impacting them in Bernalillo County and New Mexico. Home visitors reach out to families in a trusting environment, sharing community resources. Other organizations also attend our monthly meetings, contributing to the group's collaboration. In 2022, we had 125 partners and received an ECECD Local Early Childhood Systems Building Coalitions Grant. We hired a Coalition Coordinator, developed a strategic plan, and conducted a community needs assessment. This foundation helps us pursue our mission to raise awareness of home visiting for children aged 0 to 5.

Our values are community focus, trust, collaborative relationships, diversity, quality, and integrity. Our coalition now includes over 55 organizations and 400+ individual partners. Our coalition expands based on Bernalillo County's needs, offering collaboration opportunities in a safe, diverse and equitable environment while leveraging community resources. We also aim to promote professional development for home visitors and our partners. Home visitors play a key role in preventing behavioral, mental, and other traumas affecting families. Our focus is to continue outreach efforts until all children in Bernalillo County receive home visiting services.