First ever Baby Bonds in New Mexico awarded to 15 children [Video]

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – 15 children received New Mexico’s first ‘Baby Bonds,’ a.k.a. nest eggs that will grow over time, and allow those children to use that money for things like education and home ownership when they turn 18.

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“We were low income, my family was low income so I wanted to go to college and I wasn’t able to,” said Leslie Moreno-Roacho, whose one-year-old son Zaiden is the first child in New Mexico to receive one of the ‘Baby Bonds.’ “The bond is more than just money; it’s a ticket to opportunities. The opportunities I never had. It means he can dream big to go to college and hopefully avoid the stress of student debt,” Moreno-Roacho said.

He’s one of 15 children awarded this Baby Bond through a pilot program created by a coalition of advocacy groups, including Partnership for Community Action (PCA), Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, Prosperity Works, and MoneyByrd. “Baby Bonds …