A State Just Made Child Care Free. Here’s Why it Matters

New Mexico’s universal childcare program could be a blueprint for the rest of the nation, bringing much-needed relief to working families.

by Jennifer Porter Gore, Word in Black

As of Nov. 1, parents of children under 13 in New Mexico no longer have to worry about child care costs.

The state has become the first in the nation to provide no-cost universal child care to families regardless of income — an unprecedented move estimated to save families an average of $12,000 per child each year.

And the initiative could be a test case for what’s possible in a country where child care has become a barrier to financial stability, particularly for Black and working-class families.

A National Problem, A State-Level Solution 

More than two-thirds of children in the United States live in households where both parents/guardians work outside the home. Yet child care costs are rising faster than housing or college tuition.

A 2023 survey found that roughly 79% of families seeking childcare reported either being unable to find adequate child care or finding it unaffordable. And most families who said this added that the problem prevented them from finding or keeping a job.

For roughly three to four million Black families with children — well over half of all Black families raising kids — the costs are unsustainable. Many spend the largest percentage of their monthly income on child care for 3- and 4-year-olds. They’re also more likely to be unable to find childcare at all. 

Without affordable child care, parents — especially mothers — are forced out of the workforce. That affects the nation’s economic productivity, but that lost income also means families have less money for healthy food and preventive doctor’s visits.

Continue reading…A State Just Made Child Care Free. Here’s Why it Matters

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