<
https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-8/how-new-mexico-made-child-care-free-for-most-families/>
"After Geovanna Losito’s son was born in the spring of 2021, her mother took
care of him while Losito worked remotely. But as her son grew, so did Losito’s
worries.
Losito knew that soon, her mother, who is disabled, would no longer be able to
pick her son up. And Losito knew that soon she would have to resume commuting
one hour each way from her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to her government
job in Santa Fe.
What Losito, 33, didn’t know was how she’d be able to pay for child care so
that she could continue working. Losito, who supports her son and her parents —
her father is a disabled veteran — was always broke at the end of the month but
still earned too much to qualify for public assistance.
Then, in August 2021, New Mexico dramatically expanded its child-care subsidy
program to include families earning up to 400% of the poverty line, making
roughly half of the state’s children eligible. For a family of four, like
Losito’s, that now includes households earning up to $124,800 annually. The
state has also waived all co-pays, making child care free for qualified
families.
Approximately 70% more New Mexico families are now eligible for free child
care, according to the Urban Institute. When coupled with its other new
policies — including permanent funding and higher provider pay — advocates say
New Mexico is a model in early childhood education.
“The guiding star of the thing is ‘How can we make this as free as possible for
as many people as possible?’” said Hailey Heinz, deputy director of the Cradle
to Career Policy Institute at the University of New Mexico. “It’s as close as
any states have gotten to trying to get at universal (coverage).”"
Via
Positive.News
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
