There is so much good news about Universal Free Child Care in New Mexico that I’m puzzled by the handful of people who seem determined to focus on why we can’t do it—whether through lawsuits or social media criticism.
Corner to Corner
Diane Denish is a former lieutenant governor of New Mexico. She is a native of Hobbs and now lives in Albuquerque. Reach her at diane@dianedenish.com
Take Duke Rodriguez, unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor in the 2026 primary. Rodriguez recently filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s implementation of Universal Free Child Care , arguing it was rolled out before being fully codified by the Legislature. It seemed like an odd political strategy, particularly since the program enjoys broad support among New Mexicans, including many Republican voters.
Last week, District Judge Elaine Lujan dismissed the lawsuit ruling that the plaintiffs didn’t have standing and the point was moot. Rodriquez has vowed to appeal the decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court.
More recently, a former Early Childhood Education and Care Department employee, Sara Mikelson, penned an article criticizing the state’s approach to implementing the program. She pointed to large urban areas such as San Francisco and New York City and the models they are using.
Mikelson’s critique suggests a limited understanding of New Mexico’s unique challenges, particularly in rural communities. She argues that the state has prioritized expanding demand over increasing supply. That simply isn’t true. Both efforts are happening simultaneously, even if growing the supply of providers and facilities is the harder task.
Mikelson also overlooks an important part of the story: the creation of the Early Childhood Trust Fund in 2020. Sponsored by bipartisan legislative leaders and supported by Governor Lujan- Grisham, the fund began with a $300 million appropriation and was expected to grow to about $1 billion within five years. It has far exceeded expectations and is now, just six years later, valued at more than $11 billion.
She correctly notes that voters overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendment in 2022 dedicating additional funding to early childhood programs.
The efforts to recognize child care as economic infrastructure and early childhood educators as professionals has been underway in New Mexico for nearly three decades. Pediatricians, educators, advocates, providers, and policymakers across multiple administrations have worked toward this goal. Twenty years ago, New Mexico expanded full-day kindergarten and launched one of the nation’s first statewide pre-K programs for four-year-olds. Those investments helped shift thinking about early childhood education—not simply as child care , but as a pathway to a stronger workforce and economy.
Since then, the state has continued to innovate. The Governor, Secretary and advocates helped create the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, increased wages and support for providers, offered low-cost financing opportunities, expanded professional training partnerships with community colleges, and invested heavily in facilities and workforce development.
No one disputes that implementing a first of its kind program is challenging. Demand for care has outpaced available providers, facilities remain scarce in some communities, and rural areas present unique obstacles. State officials have acknowledged that thousands of additional providers will be needed before the system reaches its full potential.
Yet despite those challenges, there is a great deal of good news:
- Nearly 300 new childcare providers have entered the system in the last eight months.
- Universal Free Child Care has become another valuable recruitment tool for businesses considering New Mexico. Combined with tuition-free college and a relatively low cost of living, it strengthens the state’s economic competitiveness.
- According to Central New Mexico Community College, higher wages and stronger supports have increased enrollment in early childhood education training programs.
- The number of children under age two receiving childcare has doubled since 2020, a remarkable accomplishment considering the closures and disruptions caused by the pandemic.
- During the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers allocated $700 million from the Early Childhood Trust Fund to help ensure long-term sustainability without reopening funding battles every year.
For context, “universal” means available to every family, regardless of income. Every family. Think about that.
A first-of-its-kind program in the United States. Think about that, too.
The challenges are real, but so is the progress. New Mexico isn’t following someone else’s blueprint—we are writing our own. And when history is written, the story won’t be about the critics on the sidelines –it will be about the success and all those who made it happen.