Parents in New Mexico will no longer have to pay for child care starting next week, regardless of their income, making the Land of Enchantment the first state in the nation to offer free universal child care.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who championed the new initiative, told CBS News it would save families an average of $12,000 a year.

"In 41 states in America, your child care payment is more than your mortgage payment," she said.

Santa Fe teachers Hannah Mierley and Nathan Herzog know that math all too well. They pay more than $14,000 a year in child care for their toddler, Atticus.

"It is all of the leftover budget that we have," Herzog told CBS News.

"It's second to our mortgage," Mierley added.

The state's child care plan will be paid for by New Mexico's oil and gas

See Full Page