New Mexico’s Universal Childcare with Debra Rinell

Lessons, Insights, and Reflections from a Groundbreaking Study Tour

In November 2025, New Mexico became the first state in the nation to offer universal childcare, making no-cost childcare available to families regardless of income. As a childcare provider from Washington State, I joined a delegation of providers, legislators, nonprofit leaders, funders, and agency representatives on a study tour to learn how New Mexico made this historic initiative possible and what lessons it may hold for other states.

Understanding the “Why” Behind Universal Childcare

Our journey began with a dinner discussion featuring New Mexico Senator Muñoz and business leaders who shared the state’s path toward universal childcare. One message stood out immediately: childcare is not simply a family issue—it is an economic issue.

Senator Muñoz openly discussed how he initially opposed the concept of universal childcare but changed his perspective after recognizing the critical role childcare plays in workforce participation, economic stability, and community growth. Business leaders echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that access to quality childcare directly impacts employers, employees, and the overall economy.

This first evening set the stage for the days ahead, highlighting how New Mexico successfully built broad support across political, business, and community sectors.

A Bold Vision Backed by Long-Term Investment

The second day offered a deeper look into the structure and funding of New Mexico’s childcare system. We had the opportunity to hear from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky, whose presentations demonstrated the state’s commitment to making childcare a long-term priority.

What makes New Mexico’s model unique is not only that childcare is available regardless of income, but that the state established sustainable funding mechanisms to support it. Following voter approval of a constitutional amendment in 2022, distributions from the state’s Land Grant Permanent Fund help finance early childhood initiatives. New Mexico also created the nation’s first cabinet-level Early Childhood Education and Care Department, bringing programs and services under a unified leadership structure.

Perhaps most importantly, state leaders repeatedly emphasized that meaningful childcare reform requires providers to have a genuine voice in policy decisions. Providers are not simply recipients of policy—they are partners in shaping it.

Comparing New Mexico and Washington

Throughout the tour, Washington’s delegation engaged in candid discussions about the opportunities and challenges facing our own childcare system.

Several important themes emerged. Providers expressed concerns about long-term funding stability and the potential for childcare investments to be redirected toward other educational priorities. Historical experiences with full-day kindergarten, Transitional Kindergarten, and expanding public-school-operated childcare programs have left many providers wondering how future childcare funding would be protected.

Another eye-opening comparison involved regulations. New Mexico’s childcare licensing rules total approximately 68 pages, while Washington’s exceed 190 pages. This sparked thoughtful conversations about whether increasing regulatory complexity always translates into better outcomes for children and families—or whether some requirements simply create additional costs and burdens for providers.

One New Mexico representative remarked that hearing Washington’s questions helped them realize just how far their state had come in building a childcare system that aligns providers, agencies, and policymakers around common goals.

Key Lessons for the Future

As the study tour concluded, several lessons became clear.

1. Collaboration Must Come First

Real progress requires providers, legislators, agencies, advocates, and families to work together. Each stakeholder group faces unique challenges, but lasting solutions emerge when everyone focuses on strengthening the childcare ecosystem as a whole rather than advocating solely for their own interests.

2. Sustainable Funding Requires Creativity

New Mexico’s success was made possible through innovative funding strategies, including its Early Childhood Trust Fund and dedicated long-term investments. States seeking transformational childcare reform must think beyond annual appropriations and explore funding models that can support future generations.

3. Regulations Should Be Evaluated for Impact

Meaningful improvements do not always require significant new funding. Reviewing regulations that increase costs without improving outcomes may create opportunities to strengthen childcare programs while reducing unnecessary burdens on providers.

4. Stories Drive Policy

Data is essential, but personal stories inspire action. Legislators need to hear directly from childcare providers, educators, employees, and families to fully understand how policies affect real people. Advocacy becomes more powerful when policymakers can connect statistics with lived experiences.

From Provider to Advocate

One of the strongest takeaways from this experience was the importance of provider involvement in shaping the future of childcare. As childcare owners and leaders, much of our focus naturally centers on daily operations, staffing, and program quality. However, the future of childcare will also be shaped in legislative hearings, policy discussions, and community advocacy efforts.

Strong systems, capable leadership teams, and effective operational support can create the space needed for childcare leaders to participate in these broader conversations. The more providers engage in advocacy, the more influence they have over the policies that affect the children, families, and professionals they serve.

Final Reflection

New Mexico’s universal childcare initiative demonstrates what is possible when a state aligns political will, sustainable funding, provider engagement, and long-term vision around a shared goal. While every state faces its own challenges, the lessons from New Mexico offer valuable insights for policymakers, providers, and advocates nationwide.

If this study tour reinforced one idea above all else, it is this: meaningful change happens when providers move from being affected by policy to helping shape it.