New Mexico to Implement Universal Free Child care, a First for the U.S.
SANTA FE, NM – New mexico will become the first state in the nation to offer universal free child care, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced this week. The initiative aims to provide financial relief to families, bolster the state’s economy, and ensure all children have access to early childhood education.
Currently, the average annual cost of child care in the United States is approximately $13,000, significantly higher in many states. While some federal funding exists to assist low-income families, eligibility is limited. New Mexico has been proactively addressing this issue, increasing the budget for its Early Childhood Education and Care department to nearly $1 billion, with half of that dedicated to child care payment support.A key funding source is a dedicated early childhood education fund, which has grown to $10 billion thanks to tax revenue from the oil and gas industries. A 2022 constitutional amendment, championed by Latinas in the state, ensures a portion of this fund is specifically allocated to universal child care. The governor will also request an additional $120 million in state funding next year.
The program includes $13 million in loans for constructing and expanding child care facilities, a recruitment drive for home-based providers, and incentives for programs to raise staff wages to a minimum of $18 per hour. State officials anticipate the creation of 55 new child care centers and 1,120 additional home-based options.
The initiative has drawn mixed reactions. Republican state Rep. Rebecca Dow has argued that child care vouchers should be prioritized for children at highest risk of abuse and neglect, noting a decline in participation from low-income families as eligibility expanded. Though, Thora Walsh Padilla, president of the mescalero Apache Tribe, lauded the initiative as a solution to critical challenges faced by the tribe, citing the need for increased provider wages and facilities - currently, the 463,000-acre reservation has only three child care centers.
“It is indeed so timely and it answers so many needs,” Padilla said during a press conference. “A building? Oh my goodness, we’ll be one of the first to apply.”
