News
Join Us For Breakfast & Check Out Our Spring Update
Happy Spring! We're excited to share our latest update as we transition into this time of growth and action. Read more to learn about our empowering strategic planning process with young people, delve into highlights of our advocacy work, and... Learn More
NMCAN: 2022-2023 Annual Report is Ready!
NMCAN is excited to share our 2022-2023 Annual Report, a testament to resilience, community, and unwavering dedication to creating meaningful change in our community and the lives of young people impacted by foster care, juvenile justice, and homelessness. Young people’s... Learn More
2023 Spring Update
Our Spring Update is here! Read about our 2023 legislative successes, our new home, and how young people are able to build their skills as parents and leaders. Note: NMCAN will be closed for the month of June to allow... Learn More
2023 legislative session recap
SB 31, Kinship Guardianship Changes, and HB 389, No ID Card Fee for Homeless Individuals, made it through the legislature! Young people attended committee hearings, called and emailed their legislators, and shared their experiences. We are grateful for their leadership.... Learn More
Update TANF for NM’s families
By Micaela Baca, NMCAN Youth Leader, Albuquerque Wednesday, March 16, 2023 This was originally published in the Albuquerque Journal. I became pregnant when I was 19. I grew up in the foster care system and didn’t have any family or... Learn More
2023 Winter Update
Our winter newsletter is here! Check out the latest from NMCAN, including our 2023 Legislative Priorities, Open House invitation, and more. Download a PDF to view on mobile here: 2023 Winter Update NMCAN Winter Update Newsletter 2023Download
The “Death Penalty” of Child Welfare: In Six Months or Less, Some Parents Lose Their Kids Forever
by Agnel Philip and Eli Hager, ProPublica, and Suzy Khimm, NBC News, photography by Stephanie Mei-Ling, special to ProPublica and NBC News This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The... Learn More
2021-2022 Annual Report
NMCAN is happy to share our 2021-2022 Annual Report. As our world continues to navigate the ongoing challenges around COVID-19, NMCAN has been prioritizing reconnection and strong, healthy relationships with young people who are impacted by foster care, juvenile justice,... Learn More
NMCAN is putting down roots
NMCAN's new office building. NMCAN is excited to announce we have purchased a building! Our new home will ensure that young people will always have a safe space among a welcoming community that believes in their power to lead full... Learn More
Happy Fall!
Fall 2022 postcard Dear Friends, Happy fall! NMCAN continues to reconnect with young people via in-person programming that grows their leadership skills and strengthens our relationships with each other. Our office remains open Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 am -... Learn More
Covid-19 Vaccine & Testing Information
You can help keep your community safe. NMCAN wants to make sure you stay healthy! That's why we want to ensure you have factual information about the COVID-19 vaccine and testing. By getting vaccinated and boosted, you will be able... Learn More
Update from Executive Director Ezra Spitzer
Dear NMCAN Friends and Family, After taking wellness leave from February through April 2022, I have been transitioning back into my role as Executive Director, and I have several pieces of exciting news to share. I feel extremely fortunate to... Learn More
KUNM Interviews NMCAN Youth Leaders
Earlier this month, KUNM invited two NMCAN Youth Leaders, Alyssa Davis and Micaela Baca, to be interviewed on Let’s Talk New Mexico to speak about their experience aging out of foster care, the policies they have helped pass, and the... Learn More
Our op-ed in today’s Albuquerque Journal
To our valued community, As you know, the Governor signed into law the creation of the Office of Family Representation and Advocacy (OFRA) earlier this year. We believe the creation of this office will improve legal representation for children and... Learn More
New state office will offer solutions beyond foster care
BY LORILYNN VIOLANTA, CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NMCAN; AND ARIKA SANCHEZ, DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND ADVOCACY, NMCANPUBLISHED: MONDAY, MAY 9TH, 2022 AT 12:02AM This op-ed was originally published in the Albuquerque Journal. https://www.abqjournal.com/2496427/new-state-office-will-offer-solutions-beyond-foster-care.html We applaud the governor for signing the Family Representation and... Learn More
Text Messaging Update for Young People
As of today, the NMCAN text messaging number is no longer 25827. Anyone signed up to receive NMCAN updates via text will receive messages from a new 505 number. We apologize for any confusion this causes, and we are happy... Learn More
NMCAN’s Physical Office is Open
As of April 4, 2022, our physical office is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On these days, we will allow vaccinated guests to drop by the office. Until further notice, unvaccinated guests are only allowed in the office by... Learn More
Big TANF policy win ensures more resources for families
NMCAN and young parents have been collaborating with the New Mexico Center for Law and Poverty (NMCLP) and Crossroads for Women, to bring light to the issues families face in accessing benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)... Learn More
Family Representation and Advocacy Act
March 9, 2022 Update: Yesterday the Governor signed HB 46, The Family Representation and Advocacy Act, a law that will establish an independent office to provide legal representation to children, youth, and parents in cases involving allegations of abuse and... Learn More
Message From Executive Director Ezra Spitzer
Dear NMCAN Community, I am writing to let you know that I have made the hard decision to temporarily step away from my duties as Executive Director. As we all know, the last two years have been a truly exhausting... Learn More