The state of New Mexico is the first state to offer free childcare to almost all its residents. In addition, university studies are almost free for most students.
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. Lauren Sofia packs her children into her car with a smile. The children have had a good day at kindergarten, and now we are heading to swimming lessons.
The family can afford the hobby partly because the daycare costs nothing. Their home state of New Mexico made childcare free for a large proportion of families with children a year and a half ago – the first state in the US.
– I can’t even describe how significant this is for us. It removes a huge burden from our shoulders, says Sofia.
– Now we don’t have to think about how we pay our electricity bill or mortgage, or what money we use to buy food, says Sofia.
The family has a 5-year-old boy and a 1.5-year-old girl. Sofia estimates that if they had to pay for childcare, it would cost them about $2,000 a month. In practice, that would mean the majority of the other parent’s salary. Therefore, both should not go to work.
Now, however, it pays off – and that was exactly one of the state’s goals. Since the pandemic, the labor shortage has weighed on companies across the country, including in New Mexico.
A big reason for the labor shortage has been the childcare crisis exacerbated by the pandemic. Childcare places are few and expensive: at worst, US families pay up to $17,000 a year for one child.
Experts predict that the situation will get even worse in the coming months. Daycare centers received support funding after the corona virus, when the labor shortage caused by the pandemic hit the industry. The support ended in September, and it is feared that many kindergartens will run into financial difficulties.
According to the assessment of the think tank Century Foundation, more than 3 million children’s day care places are at risk.
A dream state for students
New Mexico is one One of the ten poorest states in the US, where more than 18 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. However, the policy decisions differ significantly from other poor states, as New Mexico is the only Democratic-led state on the list.
One example is state abortion laws, which are very permissive. A large number of other poor, Republican-led states ban abortions almost entirely. Researchers and jurists estimate that abortion bans increase the poverty of women and children.
Another example of New Mexico’s progressive politics can be found on college campuses. The state recently significantly increased funding for its residents’ higher education.
Today, studying at public universities and universities of applied sciences is practically free. In addition, a significant number of those studying at private universities receive a scholarship from the state, which at best covers the tuition fees for their studies.
Undergraduate student at the University of New Mexico Gabriel Biadora pays for his studies with a state scholarship.
He chose the University of New Mexico precisely because it is so affordable. The university also has a good biology program, and Biadora wants to become a doctor.
– Medical is usually a possible option only for people belonging to a certain income category, says Biadora.
– Thanks to this university and scholarships, most people who want to go to university can afford it.
New Mexico can afford the system primarily because of the state’s energy reserves. The state is the second largest producer of oil in the United States and also produces gas.