New Mexico Becomes First State to Offer Free Childcare

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 cohesiv