Overview:
New Mexico will become the first state to provide universal child care, eliminating income requirements and copayments to give every family free access while investing in facilities, workforce pay, and expanded infant and toddler care to strengthen equity, families, and the state’s long-term prosperity.
New Mexico will be the first state in the nation to offer universal child care.
One Monday, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department made the historic announcement that will start on November 1.
This groundbreaking new initiative will make childcare available to all New Mexicans, regardless of income, by removing income eligibility requirements from the state’s child care assistance program and continuing the waiver of family copayments.
“Child care is essential to family stability, workforce participation, and New Mexico’s future prosperity,” said Lujan Grisham. “By investing in universal child care, we are giving families financial relief, supporting our economy, and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow and thrive.”
Iin 2019, Governor Grisham and the New Mexico Legislature when they created the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. In six years, New Mexico has expanded access to no-cost child care to families with incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, reducing financial strain on tens of thousands of families.
With Monday’s announcement, universal childcare will be extended to every family in the state, regardless of income. This amounts to an average annual family savings of $12,000 per child.
“New Mexico is creating the conditions for better outcomes in health, learning, and well-being,” said Neal Halfon, professor of pediatrics, public health and public policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, and director of the Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities. “Its approach is rooted in data, driven by communities, and becoming a model for the nation.
“By prioritizing public investments in early childhood educators, families, and children, New Mexico continues to lead the way in building a sustainable, affordable, and quality child care and early learning system that helps its communities and economy thrive,” said Michelle Kang, president and CEO of the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). “Achieving universal child care will make a huge difference for the state’s children, families, businesses, and educators—and for all of us, by showing that it can be done.”
In addition to the expanded childcare, New Mexico is building the supply of infant and toddler care statewide by establishing a $12.7 million low-interest loan fund to construct, expand, and renovate childcare facilities, with an additional $20 million requested in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget.
The plan focuses on expanding affordable, high-quality child care by prioritizing infants, toddlers, low-income families, and children with special needs. It partners with employers and schools, recruits more home providers, and raises reimbursement rates to cover the true cost of care.
Programs that commit to paying entry-level staff a minimum of $18 per hour and offer 10 hours of care per day, five days a week, will receive an incentive rate. New Mexico estimates an additional 5,000 early childhood professionals are needed to fully achieve a universal system.
“Early childhood care and education is a public good,” said ECECD Sec. Elizabeth Groginsky. “By providing universal access and improving pay for our early childhood workforce, we are easing financial pressure on families, strengthening our economy, and helping every child learn in safe, nurturing environments. This is the kind of investment that builds equity today and prosperity for the future.”
With universal childcare, New Mexico is leading the nation by showing that what is best for children and families is also the smartest investment for long-term prosperity—building a stronger future for every community in the state.
