Santa Fe, NM – โNew Mexico is embarking on a โขimportant โexpansionโฃ of โits early childhood care system, aiming โto increase the workforce by 5,000โข providers toโ meet growing demand and fully fund global preschool.The initiative, announced this week,โค representsโ a significant investment in the state’s youngest learners and their families.
New Mexico’s universal preschool program launched in July 2023, offering free preschool to all four-year-olds.Though, officials acknowledge a critical shortage ofโค qualifiedโข early childhood โขeducatorsโ threatens โthe program’s full potential. the state currently โhas approximately 14,000โฃ early childhood professionals.
“Weโฃ need to build a workforce thatโ can meet the needs of all of our children,” said Elizabeth Groginsky, cabinetโฃ secretary of the Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD), in aโฃ press release. “That meansโ recruiting,โ retaining, and supporting our early childhood educators.”
The state plans to addressโข the workforce gap throughโ a multi-pronged approach, including increased wages, professional โdevelopment opportunities, and scholarships for individuals pursuing careers inโ early childhood education. ECECD is also streamliningโฃ the credentialing process and working to reduce barriers to entry for potential providers.
Funding for the expansionโฃ comes fromโข a combination ofโ stateโฃ and federal sources, including increased legislative appropriations and funds from the federal โฃChild Careโข and Development Fund. The state โฃhas allocated significantโข resources to increase compensation for early childhood educators, with some providers seeing wage increases of up to 20%.
Theโฃ successโฃ of this initiative is crucial notโฃ only for expanding โคaccess to โคpreschool but also for supporting working families and boosting the โstate’s economy. A robustโ early childhoodโ care system allows parents โto participate in โthe workforce, knowing their children areโข in safeโ and nurturing environments.
