Who We Are

Kids Empowered is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit agency made of dedicated, experienced, and trained volunteers with a mission to teach elementary school-aged children to recognize, prevent, and stop all forms of child abuse, neglect, and bullying in New Mexico.

We believe the only way to truly move the needle on the child abuse epidemic in our State is to implement unique and practical approaches that follow a primary prevention model. The Kids Empowered program is a perfect addition to other primary prevention services such as home visiting.

We aim to reduce ACES! Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood such as experiencing or witnessing abuse and violence. Click here to find out how ACES affect our society and lives. View the survey here.

Kids Empowered Leadership Team

Along with a stellar team of volunteer facilitators, Diane and Sheila have co-presented the child abuse prevention program to over a thousand elementary school-aged children in Albuquerque since 2017.

Sheila Genoni

Sheila Genoni has a degree in Social Work from Highlands University.  She worked with adults and children at two non-profits in Albuquerque teaching parenting classes, facilitating support groups, managing the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and Circle of Parents® programs, and conducting workshops in the Nurtured Heart Approach® and Dr. Bruce Perry’s The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics™. Since her retirement, she has devoted her time to establishing Kids Empowered™, along with co-founder, Diane.

Diane A. Berger

Diane Alongi Berger is a native of Albuquerque with a Master of Public Administration from UNM, is a PCI Certified Parent Coach®, and was Associate Producer on Chris Schueler’s documentary, Everyone’s Business: Protecting Our Children, about child maltreatment (see link above to view documentary). She has taught parenting classes and volunteered for numerous family-centered agencies including the NM Child Abuse and Neglect Citizen Review Board. She is an active mom to two school-age daughters and volunteers at their school.

Contact Us

To learn more about Kids Empowered programs, classes, or upcoming events please fill out this form and we’ll contact you shortly.

To report suspected child abuse  or neglect in NM: Simply type in

#SAFE

from a cell phone or dial

1-855-333-7233

(remember you can remain anonymous)