Las Cumbres is dedicated to assisting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) in Northern NM. The agency’s GRG Program has been in place since 2012, initially offering group meetings with educational presentations for grandparents in Rio Arriba County. Today the program serves grandparents parenting “otra vez” (for a second time) overseeing the needs of their children’s children. The program now interfaces with GRG in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Taos counties, recently expanding to serve Peñasco.
The landscape of kinship care has undergone a seismic shift. Between 2017 and 2023 the number of grandparents and other kin raising children surged by an astounding 20% according to a report released recently by the Los Alamos Laboratory Foundation (LANLF). This surge translated to a significant rise in the number of children in kinship care, from 30,000 to 36,000. Moreover, from 2021 to 2023, NM held the highest rate of kinship care in the nation, with a stunning 8% of all children statewide being cared for full-time by grandparents or other kin, sans parents - more than double the national average of 3%.
In January, Wendy Croze was promoted to serve as the GRG Program Manager. Previously, Wendy had served as the Rio Arriba County GRG Coordinator. She now oversees the program's services and continues to provide direct care to the Rio Arriba County GRG. Wendy's journey to Las Cumbres was paved with noble endeavors, having previously served as a Permanency Planning worker at the New Mexico Children Youth and Families Department.
Wendy Croze, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program Manager
Later, at Big Brothers Big Sisters, she championed mentorship for vulnerable youth, often encountering families where grandparents stood as the consistent adult in a child’s life. Wendy exclaimed how she especially loved pairing younger kids with older ones, such as with Pojoaque High School 8th graders who mentored 6th graders. She offered that she witnessed “funny, brilliant kids.” Wendy's tireless efforts within the rural school systems further guided her path, showcasing her unwavering commitment to fostering meaningful connections between generations. She joined the LANLF Grandparents and Kin Raising Grandchildren Advisory Council where she met representatives of Las Cumbres brainstorming how to better serve grandparents and the grandchildren in their homes.
Fueled by her desire to empower and uplift, Wendy envisions a future where the GRG program flourishes with an increase in the number of grandparent participants and promotion of equitable access to care, particularly for those under the age of 55. Wendy described a “three-pronged approach” to understanding the needs of these clients- first to address the reality of the situation that these grandparents face financial burdens when unexpectedly raising children on a fixed and often low income. Her second approach is skills building particularly when grandchildren come into the home as a young child and then become a teen. It goes without saying that youth today are experiencing a world that may not resemble that in which the grandparents grew up – from technological elements including cyberbullying to finding their way around school platforms for homework. Thirdly, Wendy wishes to keep sight on the “human factor” which is to help grandparents retain their identity as being more than “just” a grandparent.
Wendy is dedicated also to supporting the GRG coordinators on her team by seeking and providing training and educational opportunities to enable all to effectively meet the needs of families in their unique counties and to advocate for system change.