FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday April 7, 2026
Contact: Angie Poss
angie@singlespacestrategies.com
Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs Invites New Mexicans to Observe Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention Month
Governor Lujan Grisham Designates April 2026 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Protection Month in the State
Albuquerque, NM – April is nationally recognized as both Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM). The New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (NMCSAP) and the New Mexico Children’s Alliance (NMCA) lead the state’s sexual assault and child abuse intervention and prevention efforts. Programs that serve survivors and children across the state take this month to engage their communities to uplift and honor survivors, raise awareness, and recommit to building a future where violence is no longer a part of our communities.
2026 marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month at the national level, with the theme “25 Years Stronger: Looking Back, Moving Forward.”
“Throughout the year and as we begin Sexual Assault Awareness Month, NMCSAP honors survivors in our communities across the state. We are deeply grateful for the survivors in our work who help us innovate and create solutions to address the impact of sexual violence in New Mexico. This issue impacts everyone, and our trust and knowledge of survivors’ experiences are the foundation and motivation in our partnerships with friends, family, and loved ones and community” said Alexandria Taylor, Executive Director of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. “In a state where sexual violence impacts over half of our population, we cannot afford to only respond after harm has occurred. We must invest in prevention, in community-led solutions, and in a future where everyone in New Mexico can live free from violence.”
In August of 2025, NMCSAP distributed $1.5 million from the Violence Intervention Program Fund. The fund, created by the Legislature and the Department of Health, allowed for 18 project grants, ranging in size from $30,000 to $200,000, enabling organizations to implement violence prevention programs through a public health approach.
Data from Fiscal Year 2025 shows that organizations within NMCSAP served nearly 6,000 survivors across the state of New Mexico. 30% of those served were children.
The national theme for Child Abuse Prevention Month this year is “Powered by Hope: Strengthened by Prevention.”
“Child Abuse Prevention Month is an opportunity to focus on and educate ourselves about the proven strategies that prevent violence before it occurs. Prevention is not only possible, it’s essential, and children and families deserve the support systems to create lasting change across generations,” said Melissa Ewer, Director of the New Mexico Children’s Alliance, a program of NMCSAP. “Our work with NMCSAP and our network of Children’s Advocacy Centers is about systems change. By building a community-based response to child abuse, we not only create the safety needed for healing, but also seed the ground for preventing future abuse in communities.”
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If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out to the NM Sexual Assault Helpline, 1-844-667-2457, www.nmsahelp.org. Language access options and interpretation are available.
The New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that serves as a comprehensive clearinghouse, providing a variety of resources to assist in preventing and responding to sexual assault. Survivors, service providers, the media, non-profit and governmental organizations and the general public find our resources current, relevant, and helpful.