Candy Allen, Enos Garcia Elementary Nurturing Center/Family Navigator
Candy has worked in social services in Taos for over thirty years. During that time she has provided services through CAV, DreamTree, Tri-county Community Services; the ACT program, Las Cumbres, and was the Domestic Violence Coordinator at the 8th Judicial District Court in Taos and taught Child Sexual Abuse Prevention in Taos and Penasco schools. Currently, Candy works at Enos Garcia Elementary School Nurturing Center providing SEL in the classrooms, small group facilitation and one on one support for children as well as teacher support. Candy also provides services and support through Nurturing Grandparents and guidance obtaining Kinship Guardianship for “people raising children, not their own”. The need for Kinship Guardianship in the communities we serve has increased immensely due to our struggles with addiction, incarceration and even death, leaving our children without their parents. “We see the suffering…” when not working, Candy loves design and sewing, her two dogs, her extraordinary grandson and her amazing husband.
Joann Visarraga, Peñasco Nurturing Center/Family Navigator
Joann grew up in Chamisal, New Mexico. She graduated from Peñasco High School, continued her education and graduated from Northern New Mexico College with her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She began her career as an educator for young children in Early Head Start and Head Start programs, after taking a break she returned part time as the Peñasco Nurturing Center/Family Navigator with Taos Behavioral Health. Joann is married to her wonderful husband and they have two children, a daughter age 5 and a son age 2. Her own personal childhood growing up is what drove her to work with young children. Joann believes in self-will and despite where we come from or endure we can succeed at anything we set our minds to. Joann loves where she lives and she is proud to be working with the children and families in her own community of the Peñasco area.
