ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – On a Thursday morning, Samata Alhassan reads to her young daughter Fatima. “She counts up to 20, she knows how to name colors, she sings all the time. She’s just amazing. and I’m really grateful for the change they have helped my daughter to experience,” said Alhassan.
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It was just a few months ago she said the two were homeless, living in a hotel, and in what she said was a domestic abuse situation. She said an Albuquerque Community Safety worker helped connect her with Cuidando Los Niños. The organization aims to break the cycle of homelessness in families by providing free childcare and wrap-around support services for adults. Since then, Cuidando has helped Samata enroll in school and get a part-time job all while providing free childcare for Fatima.
“They just don’t take care of your kid. They also have programs that help you as a parent to build yourself and develop yourself to just take you off being the homeless person that you were when you came to them,” said Samata.
It turns out more families are coming to organizations in need of services and support. “Since I’ve been here this has been the highest number on our waiting list and we have about 80 families waiting for us to provide services to,” said Annamarie Luna, Family Support Services Director for Cuidando Los Niños.
Since joining the organization about a year ago, she said they’ve also had to hire more staff going from about 20 people to 50.
“Cuidando gave me back the hope that I needed to have in humanity,” she said. “To believe again that people are capable of making change that families want to change and they want to take care of their children and they just need support to do that.”
The organization is getting ready to hopefully expand its reach. Funded by the city and county, Cuidando Los Niños is also getting a big boost from billionaire and well-known philanthropist Mckenzie Scott. The organization is receiving a $2 million donation.
“This grant will allow us to do all the things that city and county and state funding do not allow us to pay for,” said Luna. She said the money could help them expand their classrooms and office space.
It will allow them to help more families like Samata and Fatima. “Without Cuidando, honestly I don’t know where I would be,” said Samata.
Cuidando Los Niños helps about 120 families a year. They are always accepting monetary, food, and clothing donations.
