LANL Foundation Gives Holiday Stipends to Kinship Caregivers in Northern New Mexico

On December 10, 2025 the LANL Foundation, with support from the Delle Foundation, delivered 151 stipends of $250 each to grandparents and kinship caregivers in Rio Arriba, Taos, and Los Alamos counties. The distribution totaled $37,750 for this holiday round, and builds on an effort that has provided more than $130,000 in stipends since 2021. Local nonprofit partners including Las Cumbres Community Services, Family Strengths Network, the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, and the Taos Nurturing Center helped identify families and move funds quickly to households in need.

The initiative targets caregivers who are shouldering the costs of raising children outside the foster system. “Our grandparents and kinship caregivers help keep children out of the foster care system,” said Jessica Acosta, Early Childhood Education Coordinator at the LANL Foundation. “They are raising them in their own homes, within their culture and community, and preventing them from being moved from home to home. Many are sacrificing their own needs so the children in their care can have stability, safety, and love. We want them to know that we see them, we appreciate everything they’re doing, and we’re here to support them however we can.”

Recipients ranged from a 23 year old student caring for siblings to grandparents in their 80s raising multiple children. Stipends were used for holiday meals, warm clothing, school supplies, and household essentials, providing small but immediate relief for households that often operate on fixed or limited incomes. The Foundation notes the payments vary in size and have historically focused on Rio Arriba County and the Eight Northern Pueblos, with this year’s effort expanding into additional northern counties.

From an economic perspective the cash transfers represent targeted micro relief that can reduce short term financial strain and support local spending on necessities. The Foundation’s ongoing advocacy and research, including the 2024 report Resilient Families: Helping Grandparents and Kin Raise Children in New Mexico, highlights a longer term trend of reliance on kinship caregivers. For Los Alamos County policymakers and service providers the program signals the importance of coordinating supports that preserve cultural continuity, limit costly foster placements, and stabilize family budgets.

The LANL Foundation and its partners say the work will continue, with ongoing outreach to identify caregivers and deliver timely aid where it matters most.