SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico has recently been coving the cost of childcare for families across the state. Now, officials want the public’s input to help ensure the state is providing proper rates to cover the cost of care.
“New Mexico is making significant investments in child care because we understand the cost of quality child care is out of reach for most families, and that providing quality care is essential to improving outcomes for young children and their families” New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky said in a press release. “We’ve made child care free for a majority of New Mexico families through our child care assistance program and calibrated our rates to support a living wage for the early educators who care for young children during their most rapid and critical period of development.”
Families, business owners, and other stakeholders can give their input through an online survey at this link. The questions are available in both Spanish and English.
New Mexico has relied on similar surveys in the past to set pay rates for childcare workers. The idea is to make sure state-funded assistance covers the true cost of care, the ECECD says.
