By 
Finding her voice through personal experience
Cardenas’ advocacy was shaped by her family’s challenges. As the first in her family to attend college and purchase a home, she understood the value of education. But when she sought early education opportunities for her children, she encountered the same barriers many families face: waiting lists, limited spaces and programs with hours incompatible with working parents’ schedules.
“There’s many kids on a waiting list,” Cardenas explained, recounting her frustration when trying to enroll her children in early education programs in New Mexico. “Many times there’s places where they might have had the space, but it’s a distance. You’re a working parent. You have to attend work at certain hours.”
These challenges deepened when Cardenas’ grandson was diagnosed with autism. Navigating the education system for a child with diverse learning needs brought a new level of complexity. Cardenas became even more determined to understand and advocate within the system — and to teach her adult daughter how to advocate for her child.
Cardenas also experienced a personal transformation in her journey as an advocate. Early on, she often navigated spaces where English was the only language spoken. Because English is not her first language, those environments made it difficult for her to fully participate. Today, she shares her story with confidence and advocates for the needs of families in her community.
The transformative power of Abriendo Puertas
Cardenas’ formal advocacy journey began when she connected with Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors through her youngest daughter’s preschool. The program — a parent-led community — provided her with tools to better support her children’s development and speak up in the school, community and ultimately testify before New Mexico’s legislature many times.
What started as advocacy for her own family grew into something bigger, and Cardenas recognized that the challenges she faced were not unique but part of broader systemic barriers affecting many parents. She began sharing what she learned with other parents, helping them understand the power of their voices and the importance of early education.
UPLAN and Abriendos Puertas provided Cardenas with a platform to expand her advocacy beyond her immediate community. As a network of parents coming together from across the country to inform policies and programs that matter to families and children, UPLAN emphasizes equity and parent co-creation of solutions.
As part of UPLAN’s governing council, Cardenas helps shape policies and initiatives that address the systemic barriers she once faced as a parent, exemplifying UPLAN’s commitment to ensuring that those most affected by policies have a voice in creating solutions.
Creating lasting impact
One of Cardenas’ proudest achievements was contributing to the effort that led New Mexico in 2022 to become the first state to guarantee a right to early childhood education through a constitutional amendment. This amendment directed funding to early childhood programs, including universal public preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, and laid the groundwork for the state’s 2025 expansion of free child care and early learning access for all families. This victory will benefit generations of children in her community, ensuring access to early education that sets them on a path to success.
Cardenas’ work exemplifies what the WKKF believes about community-led change: that people have the inherent capacity to effect change in their lives, their organizations and their communities. Her story demonstrates how parent advocates like Cardenas are essential to creating systems that truly serve children and families.
Her transformation from a parent navigating a complex system to a leader helping shape that system shows the impact community advocates have on creating opportunities for all children to thrive.
Comments