Arika Sanchez, a Healthcare Attorney at NMCLP, supports efforts to improve the healthcare system for children and families in New Mexico. Before joining the Center, Ms. Sanchez worked for NMCAN, partnering with young people impacted by foster care, juvenile justice, and homelessness to build community, promote equity, and lead change. She has previously worked for United Way of Central New Mexico, The Legal Aid Society in New York City, and Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii. Arika was a graduate fellow at the Justice Action Center and volunteer attorney for a legal clinic supporting unhoused residents of Albuquerque. She is a current member of the State Bar of New Mexico and former Co-Chair of the New Mexico Supreme Court-appointed Children’s Court Improvement Commission, where she supported efforts to increase the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families in New Mexico Children’s Court.