Report on New Mexico’s Universal Child Care Initiative and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The state of New Mexico has announced a landmark policy initiative to provide universal, no-cost child care to all resident families, effective November 1. This program, the first of its kind in the United States, removes all income-based eligibility requirements and family copayments from the state’s child care assistance program. The policy represents a significant public investment aimed at enhancing family stability, boosting workforce participation, and ensuring equitable early childhood development. This initiative directly aligns with and advances several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), positioning New Mexico as a national leader in creating a sustainable and equitable early childhood education system.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The universal child care policy makes substantial contributions to the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by addressing the interconnected nature of poverty, education, gender equality, and economic growth.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By eliminating child care costs, which average $12,000 annually per child, the policy provides direct financial relief to all families, significantly reducing the risk of poverty. Universal access, irrespective of income, directly tackles economic inequality by ensuring that all children have the same opportunity for quality early development.
• SDG 4 (Quality Education): The initiative is a direct implementation of Target 4.2, which aims to ensure that all children have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education. It establishes a foundation for lifelong learning and equitable educational outcomes.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): The high cost and unavailability of child care disproportionately hinder women’s participation in the labor force. This policy is a critical mechanism for advancing gender equality by enabling parents, particularly mothers, to pursue employment and career opportunities, thereby fostering economic empowerment.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The program supports sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth by enabling a larger portion of the population to join the workforce. Furthermore, it promotes decent work within the early childhood sector by raising reimbursement rates and incentivizing a minimum wage of $18 per hour for educators, professionalizing a critical field.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Access to safe, nurturing, and high-quality early learning environments is fundamental to a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, contributing to better long-term health and well-being outcomes.

Policy Implementation and Systemic Support

To ensure the successful rollout and sustainability of the universal system, the state is implementing a multi-faceted strategy focused on increasing supply and supporting the early childhood workforce.

1. Building Capacity and Supply: The state is taking decisive action to expand the availability of child care facilities, particularly for infants and toddlers.
   • Establishment of a $12.7 million low-interest loan fund for the construction and renovation of child care facilities.
   • Targeted growth initiatives to serve infants, toddlers, low-income families, and children with special needs.
   • Strategic partnerships with employers and school districts to create new child care options.
   • A statewide campaign to recruit and license new home-based care providers.
2. Workforce Development and Quality Assurance: The policy recognizes that a high-quality system depends on a well-compensated and professional workforce.
   • Provider reimbursement rates will be increased to reflect the true cost of delivering high-quality care.
   • An incentive rate will be offered to programs that commit to paying entry-level staff a minimum of $18 per hour and offer full-time care (10 hours/day, 5 days/week).
   • The state estimates a need for an additional 5,000 early childhood professionals to fully realize the universal system.

Projected Economic and Social Impact

• Enhanced Family Financial Stability: The policy will ease significant financial pressure on families, improving their overall economic security.
• Strengthened State Economy: Increased workforce participation is expected to stimulate economic activity and growth across the state.
• Improved Child Development Outcomes: Universal access to quality early learning environments will help build a foundation for future academic success and well-being for all New Mexico children.
• Creation of a National Model: New Mexico’s initiative serves as a replicable model for other states, demonstrating that investing in early childhood education as a public good yields long-term prosperity and equity.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on New Mexico’s universal child care initiative addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on poverty reduction, quality education, gender equality, decent work, and reducing inequalities. The core themes of the initiative—financial relief for families, access to early childhood education, support for the workforce, and universal access regardless of income—directly align with the principles of these goals.

• SDG 1: No Poverty – The initiative provides significant financial relief to families, directly combating poverty.
• SDG 4: Quality Education – The program’s central purpose is to provide universal access to early childhood education and care, a foundational element of quality education.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality – By making child care accessible, the policy helps reduce the burden of unpaid care work, which disproportionately affects women, thereby promoting their participation in the workforce.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The article connects universal child care to increased workforce participation, economic prosperity, and the creation of better-paying jobs for early childhood professionals.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The policy is explicitly designed to be universal, removing income as a barrier and ensuring that all children and families have equal opportunities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, several specific SDG targets can be identified as being directly advanced by New Mexico’s universal child care policy.

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. The article states the initiative provides “financial relief” and an “average annual family savings of $12,000 per child,” directly reducing the financial strain that can lead to or exacerbate poverty.
   • Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all. The universal child care program is a clear example of a social protection system designed to support all families, as highlighted by the removal of “income eligibility requirements.”

2. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education. The article’s main announcement is about achieving “universal child care” and building a “quality child care and early learning system” to ensure every child has the “opportunity to grow and thrive.”

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies. The provision of no-cost, universal child care is a public service that directly addresses the burden of unpaid care work, which enables greater “workforce participation,” particularly for women.

4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value. The initiative supports this target in two ways: by enabling parents to join or remain in the workforce (“supporting our economy”) and by creating decent work for educators. The article mentions an incentive for programs that pay “entry-level staff a minimum of $18 per hour.”

5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… economic or other status. The policy’s core principle is making child care “available to all New Mexicans, regardless of income,” which directly promotes economic inclusion and reduces inequality of opportunity.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several explicit and implicit indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified SDG targets.

• For SDG 1 (No Poverty):
  • Indicator: The “average annual family savings of $12,000 per child.” This is a direct quantitative measure of the financial relief provided to families.
  • Indicator: The waiver of “family copayments” and removal of “income eligibility requirements.” These policy changes serve as indicators of the implementation of a universal social protection system.
• For SDG 4 (Quality Education):
  • Indicator: The number of families and children accessing the universal child care program. The goal of “universal access” implies tracking enrollment rates across the state.
  • Indicator: The number of child care facilities constructed, expanded, or renovated through the “$12.7 million low-interest loan fund.” This measures the expansion of supply and infrastructure.
• For SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth):
  • Indicator: The number of new early childhood professionals hired. The article estimates that an “additional 5,000 early childhood professionals are needed.”
  • Indicator: The wage levels for early childhood staff. The article specifies an incentive rate for programs paying a “minimum of $18 per hour,” which can be tracked.
  • Indicator: Overall workforce participation rates in the state, particularly among parents of young children, can be monitored to assess the economic impact.
• For SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
  • Indicator: The percentage of families, across all income levels, enrolled in the child care assistance program. The success of the “universal” aspect can be measured by tracking participation rates from different socioeconomic backgrounds to ensure equitable access.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: governor.state.nm.us