Report on New Mexico’s Universal Child Care Initiative and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

As of November 1, New Mexico will become the first state in the United States to provide universal, no-cost child care to all resident families, irrespective of income. This landmark policy is the culmination of a multi-year strategy involving significant institutional and financial reforms. The initiative directly advances several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning quality education, poverty reduction, gender equality, decent work, and reduced inequalities.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 4: Quality Education: The policy directly addresses Target 4.2 by ensuring all children have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education. By investing in the workforce and expanding access, New Mexico is building a foundation for lifelong learning.
• SDG 1: No Poverty & SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: By eliminating child care costs, which average $12,000 annually per family, the state significantly reduces the financial burden on households, contributing to poverty alleviation. Universal access removes income-based barriers, reducing inequalities between families.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: Free and accessible child care is a critical enabler of gender equality, allowing more parents, particularly women who disproportionately serve as primary caregivers, to enter, remain in, and advance in the workforce, thereby promoting their economic empowerment.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The initiative stimulates economic growth by creating an estimated 5,000 new early childhood professional positions. Furthermore, it promotes decent work by incentivizing providers to pay a minimum wage of $18 per hour.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The establishment of a dedicated state department and the passage of a constitutional amendment demonstrate the creation of effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions to deliver on public service commitments.

Chronological Development of the Initiative

1. 2019: The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department was established, creating a single, cabinet-level agency to streamline and coordinate all state programs for children from prenatal to five years old. This institutional reform laid the groundwork for a cohesive early childhood system.
2. 2021: Advocates successfully campaigned to amend the state constitution to utilize the Land Grant Permanent Fund, a stable revenue source derived from oil and gas profits, to create a dedicated funding stream for early childhood education.
3. 2022: New Mexico voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment, making the state the first to guarantee a right to early childhood education and securing the necessary funding to support this right.
4. 2024: A report from the National Institute for Early Education Research highlighted the state’s success, showing New Mexico making top gains in preschool enrollment, with 70% of 4-year-olds attending public preschool.
5. 2025: The state announced the final step in its multi-year plan: making child care free for all families, regardless of income, beginning November 1.

Key Policy Components and Impacts

• Universal Access: The policy expands upon previous subsidy models, which were capped at 400% of the federal poverty level, to provide no-cost care for all residents, fully realizing the goal of reducing inequality (SDG 10).
• Workforce Investment: To ensure quality and capacity, the state is implementing an incentive rate for providers who commit to paying entry-level staff a minimum of $18 per hour and offering extended hours of care, directly supporting decent work (SDG 8).
• Support for Indigenous Communities: The state’s comprehensive strategy includes targeted support for its 23 federally recognized tribes. This includes funding for programs that preserve tribal languages and culture, ensuring equitable and culturally relevant early education.
• Sustainable Funding Model: By leveraging its Land Grant Permanent Fund, New Mexico has created a durable financial model that is not reliant on fluctuating federal funds, setting a precedent for other states.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article highlights that New Mexico’s universal child care policy will result in families saving an average of $12,000 per year. This significant reduction in household expenses directly addresses the financial burdens that can push families into or keep them in poverty.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The core focus of the article is on New Mexico’s efforts to provide universal access to early childhood education and care. It details the creation of the Early Childhood Education and Care Department and the constitutional amendment that guarantees a right to early education for children from 0 to 5 years old.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  While not explicitly stated, universal child care is a key policy for advancing gender equality. By providing public support for caregiving, it helps to recognize and value care work, which is disproportionately performed by women, enabling their greater participation in the workforce and public life.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The initiative aims to improve the early childhood education sector by creating jobs and ensuring better pay. The article mentions an incentive for providers who pay staff a minimum of $18 per hour and a goal to create an additional 5,000 early childhood professional positions.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The policy’s evolution from serving families at or below 400% of the federal poverty level to a universal system available to all residents regardless of income is a direct effort to reduce economic inequality in access to essential services. The article also notes specific efforts to support tribal communities, which represent about 12% of the state’s population, further addressing inequalities.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

• 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 supports this by detailing how the state’s policy eliminates a major cost for families, stating they will “save an average of $12,000 per year,” directly reducing financial strain.

• 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 is centered on this target, describing New Mexico’s move to become the “first state in the nation to offer universal child care” and its success in enrolling “70% of 4-year-olds” in public preschool.

• 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 universal child care program is a prime example of a social protection policy that formalizes and provides public funding for care work, thereby valuing it and reducing the burden of unpaid care.

• 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 article points to this target by mentioning the state’s goal of “creating an additional 5,000 early childhood professionals” and implementing an incentive for providers who pay “entry-level staff a minimum of $18 per hour.”

• 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 shift to make child care free for “all residents of New Mexico… regardless of income” directly promotes economic inclusion and reduces inequality in access to early education. The article also mentions support for programs in the state’s 23 tribal communities.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

• For Target 1.2 (Reduce Poverty):

  • Average annual savings per family: The article explicitly states an estimated saving of “$12,000 per year” for families.
  • Income eligibility threshold: The change from “at or below 400% of the federal poverty level” to universal access for all incomes is a key indicator of the policy’s scope in reducing financial burdens.

• For Target 4.2 (Access to Early Education):

  • Preschool enrollment rate: The article provides a specific metric: “70% of 4-year-olds now attending public preschool.”
  • Number of available child care slots: The article implies an increase in slots as a result of the state’s investments and policy changes.

• For Target 8.5 (Decent Work):

  • Minimum wage for early childhood staff: A specific wage floor is mentioned: “a minimum of $18 per hour” for entry-level staff.
  • Number of jobs created: The article states a clear goal of “creating an additional 5,000 early childhood professionals.”

• For Target 10.2 (Reduce Inequalities):

  • Universality of the program: The primary indicator is the policy making child care accessible to “all residents of New Mexico… regardless of income.”
  • Support for minority groups: The article mentions that half of the 34 Head Start programs are on tribal lands and that the state supports programs preserving tribal languages and culture, indicating a focus on including marginalized communities.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: the74million.org