The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) announced updated department regulations in a press release published on Thursday. The new regulations, which were proposed in May and are set to go into effect on August 1, are focused on ensuring that qualifying New Mexico families will continue to receive free childcare through its childcare assistance (CCA) program. The regulations also ensure that childcare providers will receive increased rates to reach and maintain quality care and learning environments, including suitable funding to pay early childhood professionals fair and competitive wages.
“We are thrilled to announce that, under these new regulations, our state will continue to lead the nation in child care affordability and quality,” said ECECD Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky. “We continue to build on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s vision for universal, affordable, high-quality early care and education by removing cost barriers for low- and middle-income families and supporting the state’s child care industry with subsidy rates that reflect the cost of providing quality care.”
“It has been a long-term dream of mine to go to nursing school and become an RN," said Albuquerque parent Lauren Frazier. "Up until we enrolled in the child care assistance program, there wasn’t a way for me to financially afford going to school because of the cost of child care and the time commitment nursing school requires. Because of the CCA program, I am now working towards my dream job. It’s helping my dream come true all while providing the best quality of care for my children.”
The new CCA rates, which were based on a cost model, will increase the average per-child rate by 20-30%. Said rates account for increased compensation for all childcare staff and rising inflationary costs for non-personnel items.
“The increased revenues provided by these new rates will help our center better serve children and families, our employees, and our community," said Future Generations Director Ashleigh Tacktitt. "With this additional support, we can invest in improved learning environments, hire more staff to lower student-teacher ratios, and provide more individualized care and education for the children we serve.”