Universal Childcare is Possible–New Mexico Proves It

Image from USDA, Public Domain

This piece originally appeared on Fran Quigley’s Substack We Can Do Better: Ending Poverty in Our Time on Aug 07, 2026

Last November, New Mexico became the first state in the country to provide free, universal child care for children from birth through age 13, regardless of household income.

The program is exactly what working parents have been hoping for: there are no income limits, no copays, and families can choose the care that works best for them, including centers, home-based providers, language immersion or faith-based programs, and care during evenings or weekends.

Jacob Vigil, legislative director for New Mexico Voices for Children, one of the leading advocates for this remarkable program, joins We Can Do Better this week.

We talk about the broad coalition that fueled the campaign to create and implement universal childcare, and the importance of identifying a funding source. Jacob discusses the rock-solid science behind the value of high-quality early childhood education and care, the self-interest of the business community in having accessible child care, and the importance of ensuring that child care workers are well-trained and well-compensated.

Just as universal national benefits like Social Security and Medicare have proven to be more politically durable than means-tested benefits, there is good reason to expect that universal childcare in New Mexico is creating its own broad constituency–one that can be replicated in states across the country.

You can listen to and/or watch our conversation at our podcast channels on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Thank you for reading and listening!