SANTA FE – The state has begun accepting applications in Rio Arriba and San Juan counties for the new Kinship Caregiver Pilot Program. .
Created through House Bill 252 during the 2025 Legislative session, the Kinship Caregiver Pilot Program is designed to assist individuals and families who are raising children who are not biologically theirs. The program helps these caregivers navigate available services, legal resources and financial support so that these children can thrive in their homes and communities.
“In New Mexico, we know that families take many forms,” said Emily Kaltenbach, Aging and Long-Term Services Department Cabinet Secretary. “Kinship caregivers help keep these children connected to their roots and their communities. This pilot program is about honoring that and helping provide the tools, support and stability these caregivers need to continue providing those safe and nurturing homes.”
The Kinship Caregiver Pilot Program is led by the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department with partnership from private foundations. In this first phase, the LANL Foundation will provide financial support for program participants in Rio Arriba County, while the Anchorum Health Foundation will support participants in San Juan County.
“Grandparents and relatives raising children in New Mexico have long carried so much on their own, often without the resources they deserve,” said Dr. Gwen Perea Warniment, LANL Foundation President and CEO. “This program shows what’s possible when state and community partners come together to meet real needs with action.”
“This pilot hopes to show that with monthly stipends and navigational support, kinship families can truly thrive,” said Jenny Parks, Senior Vice President of Strategic Philanthropy at Anchorum. “We see this as a model that has the potential to be scaled statewide to reach the more than 36,000 children being raised by relatives in New Mexico.”
The state is currently still working on identifying the other 4-6 counties involved in the pilot. For more information or to apply to the program, visit aging.nm.gov/long-term-care/kinship-caregiver.