In this Needs Assessment, we seek to address both the quantitative goals and needs (e.g. serving 80%), and the structural and cultural issues, which most powerfully define and impact the operations, perceptions, and trajectory of early childhood in New Mexico. Our system is made up of thousands of human interactions and decisions each day. Considering this, it’s clear the most important need to meet in New Mexico is growing an early childhood education system that is intentionally connected to the health system, that parallels or reflects concepts based in healthy child development (i.e. relationships matter, curiosity, strengths and assets, resilience, creativity, capacity for reflection, and life-long learning), and that clearly defines, communicates and models a system-wide culture of respect, acceptance, flexibility, excellence, transparency, and collaborative problem solving. (author abstract)