New Mexico is first state to offer free universal child care. Will others follow suit? – USA Today

New Mexico’s Universal Child Care Initiative: A Framework for Sustainable Development

The state of New Mexico has established a universal, no-cost child care program, becoming the first in the United States to guarantee this service for all families regardless of income. This landmark policy, effective November 1, represents a significant step towards achieving several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Program Implementation and Economic Impact

Operational Framework

The state’s child care assistance program is structured to directly support service providers while ensuring broad accessibility for families.

• Funds are disbursed directly to participating child care providers, not to parents.
• Approximately 85% of child care providers in New Mexico are enrolled in the program.
• The state establishes reimbursement rates based on the child’s age, facility type, and quality of care standards.

Advancing SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

By eliminating a significant household expense, the program directly addresses economic hardship and promotes equity.

1. Financial Relief: New Mexican families are projected to save an average of $12,000 annually.
2. Cost Burden Reduction: The initiative alleviates the disproportionate financial strain of child care, which can consume over a third of a single parent’s income in the state. The average annual cost of infant care ($14,244) exceeds the federal affordability threshold (7% of household income), making this intervention critical for reducing poverty and inequality.

Ensuring Program Viability and Quality

Fostering SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

The state recognizes that a sustainable child care system requires a supported and professional workforce. A significant challenge is the estimated need for 5,000 additional early childhood professionals.

• Workforce Recruitment: New Mexico is actively recruiting more teachers and home providers to meet anticipated demand.
• Wage Enhancement: To promote decent work, an incentive rate is offered to programs that pay entry-level staff a minimum of $18 per hour, a 50% increase over the state’s $12 minimum wage. This addresses the historically low wages in the sector, making it a more sustainable career path.

Investing in SDG 4 (Quality Education)

Infrastructure development is a key component of ensuring access to high-quality early learning environments.

• A $12.7 million low-interest loan fund has been established to construct, expand, and renovate child care facilities.
• An additional $20 million will be requested in the 2027 state budget to further support infrastructure growth.

Sustainable Funding and Governance

Long-Term Financial Strategy

The program is supported by a robust and sustainable funding model, established through long-term planning.

1. Early Childhood Education and Care Fund: Created in 2020 with an initial $320 million from surplus state revenues, this fund has grown to nearly $10 billion. It provides annual interest payments of at least $500 million to the program.
2. Land Grant Permanent Fund: A 2022 voter-approved constitutional amendment allocates a portion of this fund to early childhood education, providing an additional $178.7 million in fiscal year 2026.

National Context and Implications for Gender Equality

A Growing Movement Towards Universal Access

New Mexico’s initiative is part of a broader national trend, spurred by the recognition that child care is essential infrastructure for economic stability and gender equality.

• Connecticut: Established an endowment to create universal preschool by 2032.
• Vermont: A 2023 law expanded financial assistance for families and set minimum pay standards for child care workers.
• Multnomah County, Oregon: A local income tax is funding a universal preschool program on track to serve all residents by 2030.

Promoting SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

The high cost and lack of access to child care disproportionately impact women, often forcing them to leave the workforce. Universal programs are a critical tool for advancing women’s economic justice and participation. By removing this barrier, states enable caregivers, predominantly women, to pursue careers, contributing to both household financial stability and broader economic growth, directly aligning with the objectives of SDG 5.

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 free child care program addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on economic relief, early childhood education, gender equality, and decent work. The primary SDGs connected to the issues are:

• SDG 1: No Poverty: The program directly tackles the financial burden of child care, which is a significant household expense that can push families, especially single-parent households, into poverty.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The initiative is centered on providing universal access to early childhood education and care, which is fundamental for a child’s development and readiness for primary education.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: By providing free child care, the program helps to reduce the burden of unpaid care work, which disproportionately falls on women, thereby enabling their greater participation in the economy and public life.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article highlights how the program supports the economy by allowing parents to join or remain in the workforce. It also aims to create decent jobs within the child care sector by improving wages and professional standards.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: By making the child care program universal and available to all “regardless of income,” the state is actively working to reduce economic inequalities and ensure that all children have access to the same opportunities for early development.

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

Based on the details in the article, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  1. 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 that “single parents in New Mexico can spend more than a third of their income on child care.” Eliminating this cost directly reduces a key dimension of financial hardship.
  2. Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services… Universal child care is presented as a basic service that provides “financial relief” and supports access to economic resources by enabling parents to work.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  1. 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 entire program is designed to achieve this, aiming to give “every child the opportunity to grow and thrive” through the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  1. Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies… The article frames the initiative as a public service that addresses the “caregiving economy.” Universal child care is a social protection policy that directly values and alleviates the burden of unpaid care work.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  1. 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 program supports this by a) enabling parents to maintain employment (“support our workforce”), and b) creating “family-sustaining jobs” for child care providers by incentivizing a minimum wage of “$18 per hour,” which is significantly higher than the state’s minimum wage of “$12 per hour.”

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  1. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… economic or other status. The article emphasizes that the program is “universal” and available to “all parents, regardless of income,” which directly promotes economic inclusion and reduces the inequality of access to essential services between high- and low-income families.

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

The article mentions or implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• For SDG 1 (No Poverty)

  • Financial Savings for Families: The article explicitly states that “New Mexican families will save an average of $12,000 annually.” This average saving is a direct indicator of reduced financial burden.
  • Proportion of Income Spent on Child Care: The article cites that single parents can spend “more than a third of their income on child care” and married couples “more than 11%.” The reduction of this percentage to zero for participating families is a clear progress indicator.

• For SDG 4 (Quality Education)

  • Participation Rate in Early Childhood Education: Progress can be measured by the number of families and children enrolling in the program. The article notes that “85%” of child care providers are already part of the program, and the state anticipates more families will enroll.
  • Availability of Quality Care Providers: The need for “5,000 more early childhood professionals” is an indicator of the current gap in supply. The number of new professionals recruited and trained would measure progress.

• For SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

  • Wages of Child Care Workers: The incentive for providers to pay “a minimum of $18 per hour” compared to the state minimum of “$12 per hour” is a specific indicator of progress toward decent work.
  • Job Creation: The goal to recruit “5,000 more early childhood professionals” serves as an indicator for job creation within the care sector.
  • Investment in Infrastructure: The establishment of a “$12.7 million low-interest loan fund to construct, expand and renovate child care facilities” is a monetary indicator of investment in the sector’s growth.

• For SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

  • Universal Access Rate: The primary indicator is the program’s universality, being “available to all parents, regardless of income.” The enrollment rate across different income quintiles would measure how effectively the program is reducing inequality of access.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary

Source: usatoday.com