SANTA FE — The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) has launched an online family services tool to help families determine their eligibility for services they may need, such as child care assistance and PreK. The tool, called “Am I Eligible?,” is accessible through the PullTogether.org website and allows families to see what services they’re eligible for.
“Our online family services tool is a great example of how government agencies and non-profits can work together to help our families find the services they need,” said Governor Susana Martinez. “By creating this tool, we’re giving families the opportunity to learn more about our programs and how they can sign up for them — all at the click of a button.”
The tool was created by CYFD in partnership with the Department of Health and non-profit organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club. It allows families to determine their potential eligibility for programs such as child care assistance, PreK, home visiting, Head Start, the Family Infant Toddler Program, Summer Food Program and the Boys and Girls Club.
The anonymous survey takes about two to four minutes to complete. Families enter basic information such as the number of children in their home, the children’s ages, and the family’s income to help determine what programs the family may be eligible for. Based on the info, families will be able to see what services are available to them. Afterward, they can sign up at their local CYFD child care office or get more information online about the other family service programs that they have been determined eligible for.
“‘Am I Eligible?’ represents how we are leveraging technology to better educate families on what programs are available to them and if they would qualify,” said CYFD Cabinet Secretary Monique Jacobson. “And the great news is that we are still working to pull together with more partners to expand this function to include even more programs as well as to have online applications for these programs in the future.”
CYFD is currently working to enlist other agencies and non-profits to include on the “Am I Eligible?” tool. The department is also working on an extension to the tool that would allow families to complete an online application for these programs and submit it via the web or mobile application for child care acceptance. The goal is to have this function available by 2018.
The “Am I Eligible?” family services screening tool can be accessed in both English and Spanish by visiting PullTogether.org on a computer or mobile device.
