US EditionIs Universal Child Care Sustainable? Day Care Owners and Parents Weigh In
New Mexico will save families over $12,000 annually per child and invest $13 million to expand childcare facilities and increase child care worker wages.
- On September 10, 2025, New Mexico announced it will provide free universal child care to all resident families starting November 1, 2025.
- This initiative follows expanded eligibility and waived copays since 2022, aiming to relieve family budgets regardless of income while drawing from the state’s land grant fund and early childhood trust.
- The program provides care for 10 hours each day, five days a week, aims to increase starting wages for entry-level employees to $18 per hour, but is challenged by a lack of sufficient child care staff and concerns about long-term viability.
- Officials estimate families will save over $12,000 annually per child, while daycare owner Ruth Porta expressed mixed feelings, citing unclear reimbursement and funding concerns.
- The initiative may ease family financial stress and boost the economy but also sparks debate over government spending on wealthier families and the system’s capacity to meet increased demand.
60 Articles
60 Articles
New Mexico Will Be the First State to Make Childcare Free
In an unprecedented move, New Mexico is making childcare free. Beginning in November, it will be the first state in the nation to provide childcare to all residents regardless of income, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced this week. The state has been working to lower child care care costs since 2019, when it created the Early Childhood Education and Care Department and started to expand eligibility for universal childcare. The initiative is…
Congratulations On Your Subsidized Child Care, New Mexico!
Photo by BBC Creative on UnsplashHey! You know what we never get anymore? Actual good news about a thing that is actually happening and is going to benefit actual human beings. Well, we have some today, because the state of New Mexico is about to become the very first state to provide subsidized child care to all residents, regardless of income.“Child care is essential to family stability, workforce participation and New Mexico’s future prosperi…
New Mexico Will Be The First State With Universal Child Care
FatCamera/E+/Getty ImagesMaybe we can forget abandoning our entire lives and moving to Europe for affordable daycare options — New Mexico just became the first state to offer all residents universal child care, regardless of income. The change is expected to save families over $12,000 a year, per child. “Child care is essential to family stability, workforce participation, and New Mexico’s future prosperity,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham…
New Mexico to launch universal free child care in November
New Mexico is set to become the first state to offer free child care for all families regardless of income starting in November. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) joins Ana Cabrera to share more details on the program.
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