Historic Childcare Center to Double Capacity

Christina Kent Early Childhood Center (CKECC), Albuquerque’s oldest continuously operating childcare center, is set to significantly expand its services through the purchase and renovation of a new building, thanks to a community-centered partnership with Homewise. The expansion will allow CKECC to double its capacity, offering critical early education to even more families in the Barelas neighborhood and across Albuquerque. 
 
Established in 1919, CKECC has served the Albuquerque community for over a century, providing high-quality childcare and early childhood education to low-income families. The center, accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), currently serves 62 children in three classrooms and is committed to ensuring accessible education through a sliding scale tuition model that considers both income and family size. Through its participation in the NM PreK program, CKECC also offers free tuition for 3- to 5-year-olds. 

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Learn to Use QuickBooks to Manage Business Finances

April is Financial Literacy Month, and for business owners, that means getting business finances in order. The business development organization WESST is offering a workshop in Santa Fe from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on April 22, 2025, to teach business owners how to use the QuickBooks financial and accounting software.

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Line of Credit Boosts Security Entrepreneur

Like many entrepreneurs, Adrian Chavez, Sr. did not intend to start a security business.

Chavez created Lobo Protective Services in 2017 after working as a security guard to earn income while studying political science at university and paying for his wedding. It was working that job that he was approached by someone who noticed his work ethic and integrity.

“This woman said, ‘I never met someone like you in the industry. If you open your own company, I will hire you for my next project,’” Chavez recounted.

Chavez wasn’t well versed in the security field at the time, but he would hear that there weren’t many reputable or state-licensed security companies.

After that conversation and a discussion with his wife, Chavez decided to take the entrepreneurial leap. “It’s not rocket science. It’s doing good, doing what you say, and saying what you mean,” Chavez said.

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