New Mexico Wanted Free Childcare for All. This Is What's Worked - And What Hasn't - NPR

On a hazy August morning in Santa Fe, Judyn Martinez dropped her daughter off at Kids Campus, a sought-after childcare center that is now free for any eligible family in New Mexico, NPR reported.

“It’s an amazing school so far. She loves it. I love it,” Martinez said. “Everyone’s nice. She’s learning, growing already.”

Last month marked one year since New Mexico became the pioneer state providing no-cost childcare to all households, regardless of their earnings. Eligibility requires that households live in New Mexico, while every adult at home must be employed, seeking a job, studying, or physically unable to work. Many parents told NPR that the shift has proved life-changing.

There is a catch for families trying to access the system. The state currently lacks the capacity to meet surging demand, leaving parents waiting months or years for an open slot.

Martinez said it took her about a year and a half to get off the waitlist for Kids Campus. Today, that same waitlist has nearly 700 children on it. Lilia Doyle mentioned during a September interview with NPR that her 2-year-old son was placed across six separate waitlists.

“I’m 97th on a multi-hundred person waitlist. I’m 75th on something. And some, I’m not even getting calls back,” Doyle said. Doyle, a children’s librarian who lives in Santa Fe, acknowledged she is selective about care, but argued the system should be easier to navigate.

“I have great belief in this program, but as it currently stands, I think the rollout needs a lot, a lot of help,” she told NPR.

According to the state, New Mexico has about 67,000 children aged five and under, with roughly 50% enrolled in the universal childcare program. Other families utilize programs like New Mexico PreK and Head Start, though an unknown number remain entirely outside public free childcare.

State officials acknowledge the infrastructure needs to grow.

“If New Mexico can show us how to build the infrastructure, I think other states will say that’s an investment that we should make.”

Funding for the initiative stems from a 2022 voter-approved constitutional amendment dedicating a portion of the state’s Land Grant Permanent Fund—derived largely from oil and gas royalties—to early education. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham spoke about the plan, and the Democrat-majority state legislature codified it into law in March 2026.

The program’s current operating budget hovers near $600 million, though some lawmakers express concern that it is projected to run about $50 million over budget this year. Built-in financial safeguards recently triggered a consumer price index adjustment: households making more than $198,000 will soon pay a copayment capped at $148.50 a month, affecting about 10% of enrolled families.

“By calling it universal, all we’ve done is add the wealthier folks,” said state Sen. Steve Lanier, a Republican representing northwest New Mexico who unsuccessfully sued to stop the initiative. While noting his own daughter benefits as a teacher, Lanier questioned whether families earning $450,000 or $600,000 need state assistance.

Proponents frame the policy differently. “Nobody questions a wealthy family sending their kids to public school and it should be the same for early childhood,” said Catron Allred, who oversees Kids Campus and early childhood programs at Santa Fe Community College.

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State House Speaker Javier Martinez pointed to rural logistics as a primary hurdle. “It’s not a lack of funding, it’s a lack of providers,” Martinez told NPR.

Governor Lujan Grisham described the rollout to NPR as “stunningly well” managed, noting that the state Early Childhood Education and Care Department aims to create 12,000 new spots. Officials report they are more than halfway toward that benchmark.

Other jurisdictions are watching closely. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently rolled out free daycare for thousands of 2-year-olds. Emmy Liss, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, told NPR that New York is deliberately scaling capacity in parallel with access.

“We are working to build the infrastructure, the workforce, the physical capacity and the support to providers to ensure that we can continue to scale access to care here,” Liss said.