State announces child care copayments to be waived

The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department announced last week that parent copayments for the Child Care Assistance program will be waived for the months of September and October.

The department will cover the revenue child-care programs would have received from parent copayments and will include this amount in their regular monthly reimbursement checks.

“The pandemic has created economic challenges for New Mexico families — and for child care providers. By waiving parents’ copayments, we’re making it easier for families to afford child care while ensuring providers continue to receive revenues,” ECECD Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky said.

ECECD’s decision to waive copayments follows earlier initiatives intended to support families and sustain New Mexico’s child care industry during the pandemic, including offering free child care to essential workers and delivering wage incentives to more than 3,100 early childhood professionals.

More recently, the department awarded Child Care Recovery and Stabilization Grants to about 500 licensed child care facilities to help the industry return to pre-pandemic strengths.

ECECD is also partnering with the New Mexico Public Education Department, the state’s Regional Educational Cooperatives and the Child Care Resource and Referral agency at the University of New Mexico to connect families who need child care with providers that can offer it.

In New Mexico, Child Care Assistance eligibility is up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level ($52,400 for a family of four). Parents and caregivers can apply for assistance at https://rb.gy/k1gcip.