Podcast Summary
New Mexico's Grassroots Movement for Affordable Childcare: New Mexico residents, led by Melissa McGarity and Ellie Cunha, advocate for state funding of early childhood education and affordable childcare, facing challenges in rural and urban areas.
While many rich countries invest significantly in childcare, the United States lags far behind, spending a mere $500 per year per child. However, a mother in New Mexico named Melissa McGarity, along with other residents, started a movement over a decade ago to change this by advocating for state funding of early childhood education, including childcare. Ellie Cunha, one of the organizers, shared her struggles with finding affordable and accessible childcare in rural and urban areas of New Mexico. Despite the challenges, this grassroots effort continues to push for improvements in childcare services for families in the state.
Advocating for Free Early Childhood Education in New Mexico: New Mexico identifies $26B Land Grant Permanent School Fund as potential source for permanent funding of free early childhood education, giving families better opportunities for savings, healthcare, college, and emergency funds.
New Mexico's community leaders and organizations, including Javier Martinez, have been advocating for accessible, high-quality, and free early childhood education for families for over a decade. In 2022, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham used federal pandemic assistance to expand and increase pay for childcare providers and make it free for more families. However, this funding was temporary, so they identified the Land Grant Permanent School Fund as a potential source of permanent funding. This fund, unique to New Mexico, comes from oil and gas profits and interest and has around $26 billion. By investing this money back into the community and early childhood education, families could potentially have better opportunities for savings, healthcare, college, and emergency funds. Thousands of New Mexicans mobilized to support this cause, and with the identification of this funding source, they hope to make free childcare a permanent reality.
New Mexicans express strong desire for accessible and affordable childcare: New Mexico voters approved a constitutional amendment, securing $230 million for childcare and public schools, following a successful campaign driven by families' stories and struggles with work-life balance.
During a community outreach campaign in New Mexico, organizers found a strong desire among families for accessible and affordable childcare. Many families shared stories of their own struggles with balancing work and education while wanting better opportunities for their children. This desire for change led to a successful campaign to amend the state constitution to make early childhood education a constitutional right, securing $230 million for childcare and public schools. The campaign received overwhelming support from New Mexicans, with 70% voting in favor, making it a historic victory for education in the state.
New Mexico's early childhood education model could inspire other states: New Mexico's successful constitutional amendment for free early childhood education could inspire other states to invest in this area using their unique revenue sources, benefiting families and children nationwide.
New Mexico's constitutional amendment ensuring free early childhood education for all residents, which passed with a 70% majority, could serve as a model for other states to invest in their early childhood education using their own revenue sources. The success of this initiative in New Mexico is not limited to states with land grants but can be replicated nationwide using industries' revenues, such as energy production, cinematography, or cannabis. This investment in early childhood education is crucial as children are more capable of absorbing information than adults, and treating them as "adorable little morons" is a disservice. The Hunt Institute, an education policy resource, emphasizes the significance of this development, as it guarantees access to early childhood education for every resident, making it a game-changer for families, particularly working families.
New Mexico's Progress in Childcare and Inspiring Change: New Mexico's commitment to childcare improvement, federal funds during pandemic, and states exploring dedicated revenue sources for early childhood education are driving progress towards universal access.
New Mexico is leading the way in supporting childcare through unique resources and a strong commitment, but other states without similar resources are also finding creative ways to fund early childhood education. New Mexico's progress, born from being ranked last in child well-being, is inspiring change across the country. The federal government provided significant funds during the pandemic, but states are also exploring dedicated revenue sources like taxes on tobacco, sugary drinks, and sports betting to expand access to early childhood education. Despite not having oil and gas revenues, states like Colorado, Louisiana, and Philadelphia are making progress towards universal early childhood education. The will to prioritize and innovate is key to advancing this important cause.
Funding for Childcare Industry but Workforce Shortage Persists: The American Rescue Plan offered grants and subsidies to stabilize childcare, but attracting and retaining staff remains a challenge. States are taking action, but long-term solutions are needed to keep the industry running.
The American Rescue Plan provided significant funding to help stabilize the childcare industry, with the majority going towards grants for childcare providers and subsidies for families. However, the industry faces a major challenge in attracting and retaining a workforce due to higher wages in other sectors. With federal funding running out and no clear solution in sight from Congress, states are taking matters into their own hands to prevent the collapse of the childcare sector. It's crucial for policymakers to address this issue and find long-term solutions to ensure the availability and affordability of childcare for families. The absence of action could lead to a significant portion of the childcare industry shutting down.
Childcare as an investment in human capital and a public good: Investing in accessible and affordable childcare benefits individuals and society long-term, despite current financial challenges for parents and providers.
Childcare, which is essential for the development of young children and the workforce, is currently operating as a broken economic model. Parents pay a significant amount for childcare, providers have narrow profit margins, and the industry is largely subsidized by a low-income workforce. With decades of research indicating that the first few years of life significantly impact a child's long-term success, it's crucial to view childcare as an investment in human capital and a public good. Increasing public funding for childcare is necessary to ensure its accessibility and affordability for all families. The long-term benefits for individuals and society make it a worthwhile investment. The current state of childcare is unsustainable, and addressing this issue requires a shift in perspective and significant investment.
