News

By Madeleine Carey, Meghan Montelibano-Gorman, Ifeoma Ozoma, Silvia Romero, Jessica Shelton

We’re moms. We’re neighbors. We’re voters. And we’re exhausted—not just from parenting in an expensive, frustrating, and often scary world, but from years of seeing that the needs of our kids and families are an afterthought in the City of Santa Fe’s policy decisions. 

That’s why we’ve launched Niños and Neighbors.

Our goal is simple: make Santa Fe a better, more liveable place for families. We want to ensure that the thousands of families who raise and care for kids, and invest their time and money in this city, have a voice—especially when it comes to decisions that shape our neighborhoods, everyday lives, and economic futures. 

We’ve shown up for years. Some of us have advocated for safe places to play, like splash pads and sports fields. Others have fought for better childcare, transit, parks, and schools. But again and again, we’ve hit the same wall: decisions that directly impact our children are delayed, underfunded, or ignored altogether. Pro-family change in Santa Fe needs to start with who we elect. 

Santa Fe is the only major city in New Mexico without a splash pad, which provides easy relief from summer heat and safe waterplay for all ages. Members of our community have been working hard to bring a water play space to Santa Fe. We were told years ago that it was in the works. We organized, attended public meetings, and believed. Recently, we found out there is still no funding secured and construction could not even start until 2027 at the earliest. That is two more scorching summers without a safe, affordable, and accessible space for kids to cool off and connect. 

It’s not just about a splash pad. Santa Fe continues to undervalue the infrastructure and policies that make a city liveable for families: well-maintained playgrounds, fields, and sidewalks, affordable childcare and extracurriculars, and economic policies that allow working parents to thrive. Family infrastructure benefits all residents, regardless of whether they’re raising kids. 

We’re co-sponsoring a Mayoral Forum alongside amazing community groups like Northern Soccer Club, Mucho Soccer, and Santa Fam. It will be held September 18 at Tumbleroot, and it’s free and open to everyone. We will be asking the candidates about their plans to support families—not with vague promises, but with clear strategies and funding priorities. We need elected leaders who see families not as a niche issue, but as the foundation of a healthy, vibrant city. 

That’s where Niños and Neighbors comes in. We’re not just going to advocate, we’re going to endorse candidates who understand the urgency of these issues and have a plan to show up for our community’s youngest residents. We will amplify parents’ voices during elections, track policy decisions at City Hall, and help ensure that Santa Fe’s future works for those raising the next generation. 

This isn’t about politics-as-usual. It’s about forming a coalition of care—parents, grandparents, caregivers, educators, coaches, neighbors—who are tired of waiting and are ready to act. We are not asking for luxury. We’re asking for more affordable childcare that we don’t have to fight tooth-and-nail to secure. We’re asking for splash pads that open before our toddlers are in middle school. We’re asking for soccer fields that don’t leave kids playing on sharp goatheads. We’re asking for investment in local businesses and amenities that will enrich and inspire kids to grow and give back to this community. 

We’re asking for a city that sees its children as a priority, not a side note or nuisance. 

By Carina Julig

Please visit the Santa Fe New Mexican for the entire article! Here are some select quotes:

“We’re really excited that this is going to be an opportunity for voters in Santa Fe to hear from all of the mayoral candidates about an issue that affects all of us, which is making Santa Fe a better place to live and raise a family,” said Jessica Shelton in a Wednesday interview.

Shelton is a member of Niños and Neighbors, a new political action committee formed to advocate for family issues during the current municipal election.

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Silvia Romero, another member of the Niños and Neighbors PAC, said the organization is working to offer information in English and Spanish and to advocate for the Hispanic community, which makes up a large percentage of families in Santa Fe.

“With this forum, we’re also trying to assess community needs, and at the same time trying to raise community awareness so they can get more involved in this process as well,” she said.

By Editorial Board

Please visit the Santa Fe New Mexican for the entire article! Here are some select quotes:

Young families, tired of what they see as the city’s indifference to their issues, gathered to demonstrate to the 2025 slate of candidates for mayor that they must pay attention. This was less about candidates being heard than voters showing they mean business.

Most of all, they want family issues to be front and center as the city does its business. With brand-new political action committee, Niños and Neighbors, and a host of youth and family groups — Northern Soccer Club, Mucho Soccer, Bike Santa Fe and Santa Fam among them — the forum was designed not simply as a place to hear the candidates. This was a time for candidates to understand what voters are demanding.

With numbers and noise, voters made clear that young families must be considered during this election. Considering eight candidates are on the ballot, this voting bloc could help move the scale and pick a winner. Neighbors and Niños also asked candidates — both for mayor and City Council — to answer a detailed questionnaire (ninosandneighbors.com/voter-guide) on issues such as park funding, safe and accessible transit and child care. The questions and answers are detailed for voters who base their decisions on policy.

By Carina Julig

Please visit the Santa Fe New Mexican for the article! 

The Santa Fe New Mexican asked the city’s mayoral candidates about their plans for city parks and services for families and children.

Following are answers from City Councilor Michael Garcia, County Commissioner Justin Greene, Letitia Montoya, Tarin Nix, Jeanne O’Dean, Oscar Rodriguez, Ron Trujillo and JoAnne Vigil Coppler. They have been edited for style and clarity. Responses that surpassed the 100-word limit have been trimmed.