The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) has disclosed its agency budget request for the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) to the House Finance and Appropriations Committee. The Executive Budget Recommendation for ECECD is pegged at $800 million, reflecting the department's financial objectives for the upcoming fiscal year.
The ECECD has proposed a budget that aims to maintain expanded child care assistance eligibility, improve access to high-quality infant and toddler child care, perpetuate the unprecedented growth of New Mexico's PreK/Early PreK programs, and strengthen investments in quality and workforce support. Crucial components of the Executive Budget Recommendation include allocating $75 million to preserve expanded childcare assistance eligibility and extend access to quality care for infants and toddlers through contracted slots. It also includes $33 million to accommodate an additional 2,700 children in PreK and Early PreK, as well as $30 million for enhancing quality supports in child care and PreK. Furthermore, General Fund Special Appropriation Requests feature $7 million to increase family participation in evidence-based home visiting funded through Medicaid and $3 million to enhance child care supply via low-interest loans for childcare businesses, according to a press release by ECECD.
"Under this administration, New Mexico has established one of the top early childhood education and care systems in the nation," said ECECD Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky. "This proposed budget builds on those successes and maintains our momentum as we create a comprehensive, equitable, affordable, and high-quality system that meets the needs of families and children in our state. Today, we are laying the foundation that generations of New Mexicans will build their futures upon."
According to information provided by ECECD itself, the department is committed to constructing a cohesive and equitable early childhood system in New Mexico. The department supervises programs from prenatal stages up until age five; these include child care services as well as nutrition services for older children and families.
