
Anna Barraza received the award during the organization’s 12th annual conference, and was recognized for the honor by the Luna County Commissioners last week.
In her 14 years of serving Luna County, Barraza has worked in nearly every capacity as a community health promoter — or promotora in Spanish — until taking the reins of the Parents as Teachers program in 2013, her first post as a program director.
Barraza estimates that over the course of her career, she has worked with around 5,000 families, mostly through home visiting programs designed to encourage early child development and healthful living.
As director, she now oversees and guides seven promotoras and other staff in the Parents as Teachers program.
Services offered by the program include home visiting, free pregnancy tests, car seat installation and inspection, and referrals to medical services. Parents as Teachers personnel undergo intense training to learn how to assess child development and to help teach parents to be successful.
For more information, visit the program at 205 E. Hemlock St., next to the New Mexico Department of Health clinic on Silver Avenue. The program also may be reached by calling 546-9254.
All services are provided free of charge, except for car seats. A small fee is necessary to offset the cost of the car seat.