Imagine a school where families could connect with teachers and counselors and with the legal help they need to keep a roof over their heads, secure public benefits, navigate an Individualized Education Program, or resolve a civil legal issue before it becomes a crisis.
It's an idea that's gaining momentum across the country—and one New Mexico Legal Aid believes could make a meaningful difference here in New Mexico.
When families face legal challenges, the effects are never isolated to just the home or just at school. A housing crisis can mean absences and repeated school transfers. Lost benefits can mean a child comes to class hungry. An unresolved special education issue can leave a student without the support they need to succeed. Legal problems become learning barriers.
Schools are often the first places to recognize when a family needs support. But too often, educators and school staff don't have the resources to address the underlying legal issues creating those challenges.
“Our advocates routinely hear from parents only after a child has already missed school or been forced to change schools,” says Sonya Bellefant, NMLA Executive Director.
Schools aren't looking to become legal service providers. They're looking for partners who can help families overcome barriers that affect student success. By working alongside educators, counselors, and other community organizations, New Mexico Legal Aid could help families resolve civil legal issues before they become larger crises.
Schools Already Support Families. Legal Aid Could Be One More Partner.
Schools across New Mexico already recognize that student success depends on more than what happens in the classroom. Many already partner with behavioral health providers, food assistance programs, family resource centers, and offer other connections to community organizations.
As schools continue to expand the services available to students and their families, one question naturally follows: What role could civil legal services play?
One of the best-known examples of this approach is the nationally recognized I PROMISE School in Akron, Ohio. There, legal aid is part of a broader network of family supports that also includes healthcare, career services, financial literacy, and social services. The goal isn't to turn schools into legal service providers—it's to make legal help easier to reach when families need it most.
That's the collaborative approach New Mexico Legal Aid hopes to explore with community schools here at home.
Why this Matters in New Mexico
Nearly 30% of New Mexico students were chronically absent during the 2023–24 school year, and teams working with state leaders have shown housing instability, transportation barriers, food insecurity, and other family challenges are major contributors.
NMLA had nearly 1,900 cases last fiscal year where children were in the household (which meant just over 3,800 kids were experiencing the impact of these cases).
These are problems schools often recognize long before families know a lawyer could help.
"Our schools often see the effects of legal problems long before anyone realizes a lawyer could help. Housing instability, loss of benefits, family safety issues, and special education challenges all affect whether a child can consistently attend school and succeed once they're there," notes Sonya Bellafant, Executive Director of New Mexico Legal Aid.
A Pilot Designed for New Mexico
New Mexico Legal Aid is in the early stages of developing a pilot program that would partner with Albuquerque-area schools to make civil legal services easier for families to access.
The proposed pilot would bring together three professionals working alongside existing school support systems:
- an attorney to provide legal representation and advice;
- a social worker to connect families with additional services; and
- a Community Justice Worker to serve as a trusted first point of contact, conduct intakes, and help families navigate both legal and community resources.
The goal is simple: help families resolve legal problems earlier, before they lead to missed school, housing instability, or other crises that affect a child's education.
Making It Possible
No single organization can build a program like this alone. It takes schools, legal professionals, community leaders, and supporters who believe that removing legal barriers helps children succeed.
New Mexico Legal Aid is looking for partners who believe that legal stability is part of educational success.
If you're an attorney interested in volunteering your time and expertise, we'd love to hear from you.
If you're a school leader who believes legal services could strengthen the support already available to your students and families, we want to learn what your community needs.
If you're a donor, foundation, or community member who wants to invest in an approach that helps children by supporting their families, we'd welcome the opportunity to talk.
Together, we can build a model that gives New Mexico families another place to turn before a legal problem becomes an educational crisis.
