Five years ago, Silvia Romero was living in her hometown of Aguascalientes, Mexico. “I had a great job as a business administrator, and I thought nothing else would happen to me,” she says. “And then I fell in love.”
Her soon-to-be-husband was a Santa Fean, and Silvia soon joined him here in New Mexico. When she arrived, she was pregnant with twins – and she quickly enrolled as a client with Las Cumbres’ Confident Parenting Home Visiting (CPHV) program. “I also received services from ¡Que Cute! Healthy Baby - during my pregnancy, and for several months afterward. I was so happy to be surrounded by people to help me.”
Silvia’s and her home visitor connected well – so much so that the home visitor eventually encouraged Silvia to apply for a position. “I worked as a home visitor for a year, and I loved it,” reports Silvia.
At that point, Director of Community Infant and Early Childhood Programs Linnea Moreno offered Silvia an opportunity to move into a new role. “I became a data coordinator and referral manager, which gave me a chance to learn much more about how Las Cumbres supports clients and connects them to resources,” Silvia recalls.
Silvia spent approximately a year in this role as well. Then, in February of 2023, she was tapped to take over as Program Manager for Confident Parenting Home Visiting, replacing outgoing manager Suri Rincon.
“It’s awesome to be in this position, and I’m just so thankful,” says Silvia.
At this point, Silvia turns the conversation to her true focus - the work of the CPHV program itself.
At its core, CPHV supports families with children prenatal to five. Silvia says, “Our goal is to help parents feel confident in their role” - whether supporting new parents adjust or helping more experienced parents gain new skills.
Silvia emphasizes that every case is “completely different.” Sometimes, she emphasizes, “We need to start with the basics – ensuring that families have food, housing, and employment.” For families that require support in these areas, CPHV helps to connect families with Navigators who offer direct food and emergency assistance – as well as help with housing and job searches through online platforms.
Home visitors also assess children’s physical and social-emotional development and look for potential developmental delays. These evaluations take place every six months – and if the assessments suggest a risk, the CPHV team refers children to the appropriate therapist or provider. CPHV even offers breastfeeding consultancy support to accompany mothers in their pregnancy and post-delivery journey.
“When families come to us for services, we first meet with them to understand their needs and develop a service plan,” says Silvia. She points out that Las Cumbres’ home visitors have received extensive training, including evidence-based parenting curricula, lactation consultation, safe sleep, infant massage, and many other areas of expertise.
Home visitors often place special emphasis on supporting parents to develop a strong and nurturing relationship with their child. "We help parents and caregivers create an environment in which children learn to relate to others, regulate their emotions, communicate their needs, and think creatively,” says Silvia. In addition, home visitors help parents connect to Las Cumbres counselors, Circle of Security® Parenting™ classes, and other community supports and resources.
In homes where domestic violence may be occurring, home visitors also assist with safety plans and connect clients with shelters and providers.
“Our goal is always to meet families where they are and create a service plan specific to their circumstances, values and culture. That's why we’re so flexible about where and when we work with clients – because our partnership needs to make sense in the larger context of their lives,” says Silvia.
The Confident Parenting Home Visiting program currently has five full-time and one part-time home visitors – and Silvia is working to hire another as well. The program serves approximately 100 clients across Rio Arriba and Santa Fe counties.
The CPHV team is also currently offering a reading program for children ages 0-5. The activities include snacks and crafts, and participants receive free bilingual books. For more information, please call Maylin Mireles at 505-795-4225.