Beginning on Nov. 1, every family in New Mexico will have access to free child care, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced. “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,” said the Democratic Governor in a press release. The “groundbreaking new initiative” will be an expansion of a 2022 program that began offering free child care to families in New Mexico who were earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. According to Monday’s press release, the program is expected to save an average of $12,000 per year per family for each child. In 2019, Gov. Lujan Grisham created the Early Childhood Education and Care Department to provide “a more cohesive, equitable, and effective early childhood system in New Mexico.” With the new program, New Mexico is the first state in the nation to guarantee universal child care. “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,” said Michelle Kang, president and CEO of the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
The post New Mexico Becomes First State to Offer Free Childcare appeared first on The Daily Beast