City Investing $3.42 Million for Three Years of Services for Children and Youth | City of Santa Fe

City Investing $3.42 Million for Three Years of Services for Children and Youth

10 Jul, 2023

SANTA FE, July 10, 2023 – The Governing Body has approved a total of $3,421,350 for three years of funding for safety net and navigation services for several nonprofit agency partners. The approved contracts for the funding went into effect at the beginning of the new FY23-24 fiscal year on July 1, 2023.  

The funding prioritizes goal areas identified in the Children and Youth Commission’s Strategic Plan to address youth wellness, safety and basic needs, and early childhood and supplemental education. The funding also supports nonprofit agencies in their efforts to screen children, youth, and their families for social determinants of health—access to health care, housing, healthy food, transportation, and other social support services—and to link these individuals to services and resources to address those unmet needs. This navigation takes place via the CONNECT network, which consists of over 60 programs and more than 250 navigators at clinics, hospitals, schools, and community service organizations across Santa Fe, as well as via the 211 helpline service run by United Way of North Central New Mexico.  

"We are committed to our children and young people. The investment of more than $3.4 million in their futures is a sign of that commitment," said Mayor Alan Webber. "With our partners in service organizations across Santa Fe, we will do our utmost to safeguard our children and prepare them to succeed in life."

Julie Sanchez, Youth and Family Services Division Director says: "Funding unmet social and human services for our community is critical not just for the well-being of those residents but for the overall health, safety, and quality of life of the community at large. The City is fortunate to have so many partner organizations that have proven track records of providing services effectively and efficiently."

The Governing Body approved the following three-year contracts:  

  • $144,750 to Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide one-to-one mentoring and navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $239,250 to Communities in Schools of New Mexico to implement the Community School Site Coordinator project and to offer navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $129,000 to Cooking with Kids to provide hands-on cooking and food tasting lessons to children and youth; 
  • $267,600 to Gerard’s House to implement the Nuestra Jornada peer support grief program and to offer navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $239,250 to Girls Inc. to implement programming to address depression, substance use, overall wellness and to offer navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $129,000 to Growing up New Mexico to implement the Bridges to Opportunity multi-generational support program and to offer navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $239,250 to the New Mexico Suicide Intervention Project to provide family counseling, school group counseling, training on Natural Helpers and to offer navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $151,050 to Partners in Education- Artworks to provide experiential art opportunities to children and youth; 
  • $160,500 to Santa Fe Recovery Center to implement the Women and Children’s program and to offer navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $261,300 to the Santa Fe Public Schools Adelante Program to provide homeless support services, housing support services, and to offer navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $154,200 to the Santa Fe Public Schools Parent Involvement Program (PIP) and Wellness Ambassadors to Voice and Empower (WAVE) Program to provide student wellness opportunities, intervention and prevention programming to children and youth; 
  • $236,100 to the Santa Fe Public Schools Restorative Justice Program to implement peer conflict resolutions skill building programming to children and youth; 
  • $302,250 to the Santa Fe Public Schools Teen Parent Program to provide intensive social and academic case management and to offer health and safety navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $129,000 to SITE Santa Fe to provide art education programming to children and youth; 
  • $201,450 to The Food Depot to provide access to school-based food pantries to children and youth; 
  • $129,000 to Wise Fool New Mexico to provide circus arts education and to offer navigation services to children and youth; 
  • $160,500 to Youth Shelters and Family Services to implement the Homeless Youth project and to offer navigation services to children and youth; 
  • And $147,900 to YouthWorks to provide counseling, work-based learning opportunities and to offer navigation services to children and youth.

Community members in need of support can self-refer into CONNECT through https://santafenm.gov/community-services/connect, or call the 211 helpline.  

Community members who would like to help those in need can donate directly to the CONNECT network by texting the word “CONNECT” to 26989.  

The Children and Youth Commission consists of up to 11 members who are appointed by the Mayor for terms of three years with consent of the City Council. The mission of the Children and Youth Commission is to advocate for and provide resources to organizations and community projects to creatively address barriers that result in outcomes by engaging children, youth, and families in Santa Fe.

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