About Us
One child thrives. Another falls behind. Why? Research shows that early learning and a supportive family are far and away the biggest determinants of children’s success—not just in school but in life, too. When kids get high-quality early learning opportunities, their chances for academic success and greater lifetime earnings potential soar. Dropout, teenage pregnancy and incarceration rates sink.
Of the 365 babies born in Santa Fe’s fastest growing neighborhood each year, 95% start life in poverty. With three-quarters of these kids apt to fail in school, it’s all too clear how poverty and inequality can impact children’s chances for success. But at UWSFC, we’re focused on every child getting a good start in life, no matter his or her background. So we’ve made early learning our single-minded focus over the last ten years. You can see our promise to turn families’ lives around in the pipeline of programs we offer, in our efforts to advocate and fundraise on behalf of those in need, and in the fertile network of partnerships we nurture throughout the community.
Stakes are high for the children of Santa Fe County. But so is the return on investment in early learning—an estimated 10 percent, according to experts such as Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman. Measured in lower crime rates, a stronger workforce and a wealth of other social and economic benefits, this whopping rate of return makes donating to UWSFC one of the most powerful ways you can spend your charitable dollars or volunteer hours. When a Santa Fe child gets a strong start in life, we all benefit—in ways that reverberate through the community for years to come. Join us today as we help more families find the path to stability, wellbeing and success in school and life.