Tale of Two States TRANSFORMING CHILD CARE IN NEW MEXICO AND ALABAMA May 2023 AUTH O R S Lisa Kerber, PhD Luminosa Research Luminosa Research Lisa@LuminosaResearch.com (512) 791-8751 Jason Sabo Frontera Strategy Sabo@FronteraStrategy.com (512) 450-2125 Linda K. Smith Director, Early Childhood Initiative Bipartisan Policy Center ACK NOWLE DG M E NT S The authors of this report wish to thank the people who participated in the interviews. Thanks also to Elizabeth Groginsky, Cabinet Secretary of New Mexico's Early Childhood Education and Care Department, and Jeana Ross, Former Secretary, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, Ada Katherine van Wyhe, Chief of Staff for Alabama Department of Mental Health, and Faye Nelson, Deputy Commissioner of Alabama Department of Human Resources, for their clarifications and input. We appreciate the support of Project Manager Olivia Rotolo of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Early Childhood Initiative. Luminosa Research and Frontera Strategy are responsible for any errors in this report. The Bipartisan Policy Center would like to thank the David and Laura Merage Foundation for its generous support of this work as part of its vision for affordable and accessible child care for all of America's children. The David and Laura Merage Foundation believes all families should have access to affordable, high-quality early care and education and is committed to advancing public policies that will transform the supply, quality, and cost of care for all. Our founder, David Merage, is an unrelenting champion for this much needed societal change. "As a business leader, a human being, and a citizen of this country, I think it's a shame that we let our children fall through the cracks. We must come together to fix these issues." We know firsthand the complexity of reforming a private-public system that works for all families and have deep respect for how New Mexico's and Alabama's advocates, public officials, and business leaders have banded together. We hope the story of their journeys inspires other state leaders and advocates to take bold urgent policy actions and move mountains for our littlest learners. -Sue Renner, Executive Director of the David and Laura Merage Foundation 2 Table of Contents 4FOR EWOR D 6 E X ECUTIVE SU M MARY 9 BACKG ROU N D 9 Purpose of Blueprint and How to Use It 10 Impetus for Change 11 Why Child Care and What Are the Goals in New Mexico and Alabama? 11 The Players 12 SU M MARY OF R ECE NT MAJOR R E FOR M S 15B LUEPRINT FOR ACTION: DIFFERENT STATE S, SIMIL AR OBJECTIVE S 15 Build a Big Tent to Move Toward Shared Goals 20 Adopt a Shared Goal that Reflects Interests of Key Constituencies 21 Do the Research and Promote its Findings 22 Build Bipartisan Legislative Support 23 Know the Local, Regional, and State Context and Use It to your Advantage 24 Strengthen the Infrastructure for Success 24 Sequencing Matters 34 Solidify Gains Made with Federal Funding 3 5 N E X T STE PS: B R I N G I N G TH E TR AN S FOR MATION HOM E 35 Successes of New Mexico and Alabama are Replicable 35 Put Community in the Driver's Seat 36 Have a Plan and Sequence Reforms Accordingly 36 Fight to Keep Child Care Bipartisan 36 Pay Providers for Actual Cost of Quality Child Care 36 Invest in Workforce and Build Capacity 36Create a Responsible Agency or Statutorily Require that Responsible Agencies Coordinate 37 Voters Will Likely Support Sustainable Funding for Quality Child Care 38REFERENCES 40 APPE N DIX 1. TI M E LI N E FOR N EW M E X ICO 4 3 APPE N DIX 2 . TI M E LI N E FOR AL ABAMA 46 APPENDIX 3. METHODOLOGY 3 Foreword Our nation's severe shortage of child care is putting unnecessary pressure on families. For a large percentage of these families, child care is neither affordable nor available. A lack of child care is also slowing economic growth. Women have left the workforce in droves post- pandemic, and our economy has suffered. While the government flooded the child care industry with relief dollars in 2020 and 2021, those funds are drying up. It is time for a national dialogue about what we have learned about the current state of child care and how these learnings can and should guide future policy and investments. The Bipartisan Policy Center's Early Childhood Initiative has been focused on how to inform better policies and facilitate a national dialogue. We examined and identified the gap in the supply of care and the lack of facilities in 35 states and analyzed the economic impact of it, highlighting potential lost revenue. We surveyed parents 10 times over the course of four years to fully understand their motivations in choosing child care, what factors impact their decision-making, and what barriers remain. We examined how states administer the myriad of federal funding streams pertaining to child care and recommended how states can efficiently streamline funding and improve services. One thing we know is, states are making progress. And not only is there progress, but we are seeing similarities among states that are addressing child care in a more comprehensive way. Successful states have identified leaders who have clear, shared goals. They put up a big tent and invited everyone in to help identify solutions. They have "done their homework" and have a plan and data to support their goals. They recognize that doing the right thing will take time and are willing to invest the time to get the best solutions with a broad range of supportive partners. 4 In this report, the authors examine the actions of two states – one red, one blue – which have resulted in the transformative and sustainable change so many states and communities are seeking. One, New Mexico, is well on the road to making child care a public good by waiving child care subsidy copays and expanding eligibility. The other, Alabama, is using the success of their Pre-K investments to expand child care to more families. Different successful approaches, with a similar goal of increasing access to quality child care. This report chronicles the evolution of child care in two very different states, summarizes each state's major reforms, highlights commonalities, and describes next steps. Our goal is to help other states think strategically and use the lessons to inform their own work. Decades of working in early childhood has taught me that there is NO magic bullet. There is not one single approach that can be successfully replicated in the other 49 states. Identifying the key ingredients that support long-term sustainability and building upon that foundation is the best way to guarantee success and community buy-in, and ultimately improve the lives of children and families. Linda K. Smith 5 Executive Summary PURPOSE OF THE W H AT ' S T H E G O A L I N N E W BLUEPRINT AND HOW TO MEXICO AND ALABAMA? USE IT New Mexico is on the road to making child care a This blueprint tells the tale of two states, Alabama public good, like public education. New Mexico is and New Mexico. Each has defied expectations within working to increase access to high-quality affordable the realm of early childhood policy. The blueprint child care for all families. Alabama's goal is to build focuses on the transformation of the early childhood and expand access to quality, affordable child care to and education system, and particularly child care, more families. in New Mexico, where the story begins in 2011 and ends in 2022. To highlight the commonalities of such WHY CHILD CARE? seemingly diverse states, the blueprint describes how Alabama is achieving bold reforms in child care. A robust child care system benefits children, families, Policymakers and legislators from both sides of the employers, and communities. High-quality child care aisle, advocates, community organizers, parents, and keeps children safe and healthy and helps children philanthropists can borrow from this blueprint to develop skills needed for success in school and for expand access to quality child care. This blueprint later life. Additionally, child care is the workforce is a guide for leaders who want to follow the paths behind the workforce and helps keep businesses that New Mexico and Alabama are creating for its in business. Investments in child care benefit the youngest children. employers and workers of today, while building the productive workforce of tomorrow. 6 MAJOR POLICY REFORMS Alabama Focusing first on Pre-K and diverse delivery of its New Mexico Pre-K program through partnerships with child care providers, Alabama has built capacity and Building on a decade of leadership and progress, New infrastructure and improved accountability for early Mexico recently adopted bold plans to expand access care and education. Improvements to the early care to quality child care to all children in the state. First, and education system now require greater investment New Mexico's policymakers focused on ensuring in child care. The executive branch, policy makers, the availability of data and established meaningful advocates, and others are committed to an ambitious outcomes, paving the way to improve accountability transformation of child care-improving quality and for child care. Then, New Mexico created a cabinet- expanding eligibility and access simultaneously. level early childhood department to consolidate early childhood functions under one agency to increase In 2022, the Alabama Legislature approved a historic coordination and better spend government funds. $40 million investment of state dollars in quality Pre-K and child care. As part of this new investment, With the new department in place, the Early $17.8 million will support an enhanced Alabama Childhood Trust Fund was established with an initial Quality Stars Quality Rating and Improvement appropriation of $300 million. And, in 2022, 70% of System (QRIS) for child care. Recently, Alabama voters chose to pass a constitutional amendment upgraded its licensing standards related to physical allowing the state to begin dedicating roughly $127 activity, screen time and daily nutrition. Through million a year to early childhood education from its policy and partnership between two state agencies, existing Land Grant Permanent Fund, a pot of money Departments of Human Resources (DHR) and funded by billions of dollars the state generates from Early Childhood Education (DECE), the state has fees on the public land New Mexico holds in trust. improved its QRIS and funded technical assistance to New Mexico is working hard to build capacity in enhance quality. the child care system, increase access to child care, Alabama is improving access to quality child care and improve the quality of child care. In 2021, by increasing the number of licensed providers, New Mexico shifted its method of calculating supporting providers and early childhood educators, reimbursement rates for child care providers. Instead and expanding eligibility. The state has leveraged of paying providers, particularly those in low-income federal funding to make long-term improvements communities, an artificially low market rate, the state and will continue to base the child care subsidy on began to pay providers for the actual cost of quality enrollment rather than attendance and eliminate child care. This seemingly obvious, but critically parent co-pays for most families in the state. Alabama important, measure positioned the state to help has increased the number of families that can access transform its entire system toward quality. the child care subsidy by expanding eligibility up The state also expanded eligibility to a system newly to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and focused on quality. The expansion of eligibility has expanding eligibility for children with special needs. created a need for more child care educators. Hence, The Department of Human Resources (DHR) is New Mexico is building the capacity of child care covering the cost of criminal background checks to providers to meet growing demand for child care. help child care providers hire staff more easily. The Public and private investments support the training, state has also established apprenticeship programs recruitment, and retention of the child care workforce. at higher education institutions and designed career pathways for high school and college students to enter the child care workforce. 7 S E Q U E N C I N G M AT T E R S • Forming a well-coordinated governance system for early childhood and education New Mexico and Alabama have been successful • Securing stable and predictable funding sources in expanding access to quality child care because • Building capacity of the child care system and the states' leaders have been thoughtful in laying advancing the child care workforce, which the groundwork for outcome-driven policy change includes: and well-sequenced legislation, appropriations, and policy reforms. (See Appendices 1 & 2. Timelines.) Providing opportunities for apprenticeships Every step is planned and purposeful. Based on the and mentorships trajectories in New Mexico and Alabama, the road to a Supporting higher education for current and high-quality equitable child care system in any state future child care professionals shall likely cover: Offering higher wages or stipends for child care • Incorporating feedback from parents, child care educators educators, and child care providers • Expanding access to affordable child care, which • Using research and evaluation to define goals and includes: outcomes and provide stable ground on which funders, policymakers, and stakeholders can stand Paying child care providers, or operators, for • Building bipartisan legislative support actual cost of quality child care • Building a big tent to move toward shared goals Expanding eligibility to families living at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level • Understanding the local, regional, and state context and using it to win Assisting parents with child care co-payments • Strengthening the infrastructure for legislative • Promoting all of these new opportunities to success, which includes developing a strong policy families, educators, and providers framework and institutionalizing the issue • Establishing accountability measures and using rigorous data to highlight outcomes and results of government spending 8 Background PURPOSE OF THE Force and others have helped to set the agenda for BLUEPRINT AND HOW child care. Some aspects of child care are building TO USE IT off the success of Alabama's First Class Pre-K. In New Mexico, coalitions developed a strong policy This is a tale of how Alabama and New Mexico have framework and established accountability measures defied many people's expectations and transformed to highlight outcomes and results of government access to and the quality of child care. The 2022 spending. Both states have leveraged federal funding KIDS COUNT Data Book ranks Alabama 46th and to jumpstart programs and obtain long-term New Mexico 50th in overall child well-being, and shared goals. these two states are trying to buck these rankings New Mexico's accomplishments for child care go and drive economic development with innovation, beyond the political or administrative. There has accountability, and local investments to child care. been a cultural, social, and policy transformation in In both states, coalitions of locally elected officials, the state. By investing in children's earliest years, business leaders, parents, child care providers, New Mexico is setting children up for success for philanthropists, and advocates have developed their entire lives and for future generations and strategies to reach their shared and ambitious goals. simultaneously strengthening communities and They are committed to using early care and education the state's economy. New Mexico now prioritizes the as an economic driver. This commitment has needs of young children and their families as a means enabled the issue to remain bipartisan. Good policy to retaining and developing its economic viability. trumps politics. The story begins as Susana Martinez, a Republican, became Governor of New Mexico in 2011 and ends Alabama and New Mexico rolled out reforms after in the present day and the Governorship of Michelle infrastructure and accountability were in place. Lujan Grisham, a Democrat. Alabama chose to focus, based on politics and momentum at the state and national levels, on Pre-K. In the case of New Mexico, the road toward a high- The Alabama School Readiness Alliance's Pre-K Task quality equitable child care system has included: 9 • Establishing accountability measures Alabama and New Mexico are some of the poorest • Creating a well-coordinated governance system for states and have traditionally scored low on metrics early childhood and education of children's education and well-being. In 2022, Kids Count, using older data, ranked Alabama 46th • Securing stable and predictable funding sources and New Mexico 50th in the nation on measures of • Building capacity and advancing the child care child wellbeing. workforce The people of Alabama and New Mexico want more • Expanding access to affordable quality child care and better for their states. On behalf of their children, In the case of Alabama, the road has included: families, and business community, Alabama and New Mexico want to move up in national rankings of child • Promoting Pre-K that includes partnerships with well-being. Business leaders in New Mexico believe child care providers low rankings are an "impediment to diversification, • Investment of state funds in the improvement of economic investment, and workforce recruitment." child care quality and support for parents and the Both states are committed to closing the gaps by child care workforce shifting resources to the early childhood field, including child care and the child care workforce. • Expanding access to affordable quality child care Alabama is committed to economic development This blueprint for action summarizes major and the state needs skilled workers. The state policy reforms related to child care in New Mexico understands that child care is economic development. and Alabama and details some of the rationales, In 2018, Governor Ivey announced a plan to grow strategies, and tactics that led to them. It highlights Alabama's skilled-labor pipeline by 500,000 how key players in these two states achieved so much workforce-ready employees by 2025. Child care is and lays out steps people in other states can take to a key component of making this plan a reality. The replicate their successes. labor force participation rate of women in Alabama The story is important to tell because policymakers (52%) is the lowest in the Southeast, and Alabama are looking for leadership and proven strategies for must increase women's participation in the labor transforming child care with bipartisan legislative force to meet the state's hiring needs. The pandemic support. Many states want to take bold steps to highlighted the need for child care in Alabama among improve access to high-quality affordable child the chambers of commerce in Alabama, employers, care. Policymakers, administrators, advocates, and the Department of Commerce. philanthropists, and others need clear and In 2022, the Alabama Workforce and Wage Gap replicable examples of how to expand access for all Task Force made the statement, "Quality, affordable, families. They need a credible story that inspires child care is essential to a healthy and productive and motivates. workforce and is particularly important for women who are more likely to step back from the workforce to IMPETUS FOR CHANGE shoulder family responsibilities." Alabama and New Mexico hit a breaking point. For decades, policymakers had largely ignored the long- term needs among children and working families for quality child care. The urgency of this pent up demand, combined with inadequate funding of programs over many years, drove action on child care in both states. 10 WHY CHILD CARE AND New Mexico is on the road to making child care a W H AT A R E T H E G O A L S public good, like public education. New Mexico's IN NEW MEXICO AND goal is to increase quality and access to high-quality ALABAMA? affordable child care, so that all families can access it, and employers can rely on a well-supported workforce. Access to high-quality child care is critical for Alabama's goal is to build and expand access children, families, employers, and communities at to quality, affordable child care. Investments in large. We all depend on child care, even if we don't children are seen as a smart way to support and grow have young children living in our homes. High- Alabama's workforce of today and tomorrow. quality child care keeps children safe and healthy, and it helps children develop skills for success For this blueprint, child care refers to those programs in school and for later life. Quality child care can and arrangements that serve children before they increase the likelihood of future academic success enter kindergarten. and workforce participation. T H E P L AY E R S Without quality child care, parents cannot work. Without working parents, the economy cannot function. Child care is the workforce behind the workforce. This blueprint highlights the actions of advocates, Without access to affordable high-quality child care, child care providers, governors, legislators, organizers, people are forced to avoid or leave the workforce. Across parents, philanthropists, researchers, and state agency the nation, the lack of accessible infant- and toddler- administrators to expand access to high-quality child care accounts for an annual loss of over $57 billion child care in New Mexico and Alabama. Many of the in lost earnings, business productivity, and tax revenue key individuals and organizations responsible for each year (ReadyNation, 2019). increasing access to quality child care were interviewed for this report. (See Appendix 3 for methodology.) 11 Summary of Recent Major Reforms NEW MEXICO education from its existing Land Grant Permanent Fund, a pot of money funded by billions of dollars the Building on a decade of leadership and progress, New state generates from fees on the public land it holds Mexico has set the course for the nation. Through in trust. Legislators will decide how to invest these executive leadership, legislative action, and the dollars in early childhood education (E. Groginsky, ballot box, New Mexico has methodically adopted personal communication, Nov. 16, 2022). bold plans to strengthen the child care system and expand access to quality child care in the state. (See Appendix 1 for a timeline of achievements and "THERE HAS BEEN A POLITICAL , policy wins.) C U LT U R A L , A N D L A N G UAG E S H I F T First, the legislature focused on measures and A R O U N D E A R LY C H I L D H O O D I N outcomes and passed accountability acts. These acts NEW MEXICO" call for the prioritization of reporting, provision of (E XECUTIVE DIRECTOR , data on outcomes, and the highlighting of results for T H O R N B U R G F O U N DAT I O N ) . government spending. Then, it created a cabinet-level early childhood department to increase efficiency, consolidate early childhood functions under one state New Mexico is working hard to build capacity in agency, and provide focus. the child care system, increase access to child care, and improve the quality of child care. In 2021, With the new department in place, the Early New Mexico shifted its method of calculating Childhood Trust Fund was established with an initial reimbursement rates for child care providers. Instead appropriation of $300 million. And, in 2022, 70% of of paying providers, particularly those in low-income New Mexico voters chose to pass a constitutional communities, an artificially low market rate, the state amendment to allow the state to begin dedicating began to pay providers for the actual cost of quality roughly $127 million a year to early childhood child care. This seemingly obvious, but critically 12 important, measure positioned the state to help improved quality via greater exchange of knowledge transform its entire system toward quality. As the and skills related to health and safety among state expanded eligibility to more families, it has licensing staff, greater ability for licensing staff to worked to build capacity by bolstering the number educate providers, and improved professionalism of and quality of child care providers and supporting the child care workforce. Alabama also has upgraded the recruitment, training, and retention of the child its licensing standards related to physical activity, care workforce. screen time, and daily nutrition. In 2022, the Alabama Legislature approved a ALABAMA historic $40 million investment in quality Pre-K and child care. As part of this new investment, $17.8 Focusing first on Pre-K and diverse delivery of its million will support an enhanced Alabama QRIS for Pre-K program through partnerships with child child care. The program, administered by DHR in care providers, Alabama has built capacity and partnership with the Department of Early Childhood infrastructure and improved accountability for early Education (DECE), has been redesigned based on care and education. Improvements to the early care research, evaluation, and feedback from child care and education system now require greater investment providers. Through policy and partnership between in child care. the two state agencies, the state has also funded technical assistance to enhance quality. Alabama Alabama has a coordinated mixed delivery system of Quality Stars, Alabama's QRIS, offers coaching, Pre-K programs and early childhood care programs. support, and assessment to help child care programs Pre-k can be delivered by Head Start providers, state improve and demonstrate quality along a one-to-five and local governments, Indian tribes and tribal star rating system. Participating child care providers organizations, private faith- and community-based receive payments of up to $80,000 a year, depending entities, child care providers, institutions of higher on their star level and licensed capacity (ASRA, 2022). education, state agencies, and local education Increased funding allows programs to enhance, build, agencies. Any entity in the mixed-delivery system and grow their child care programs. can apply for public funding. To grow Pre-K, high- quality child care programs must be able to apply for Alabama is improving access to quality child care Pre-K grants, which requires ramping up the Quality by increasing the number of licensed providers Stars Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) and supporting providers. The number of licensed and greater investment in child care. "Alabama's child care providers has increased since the months private child care system is needed to provide most before the pandemic, from 1,200 to 1,300 plus. DHR of the additional classrooms and teachers remaining promotes the QRIS in terms of building blocks of in the expansion of First Class Pre-K" ("Child care quality. Alabama "created a regulatory tent, set out providers…", 2023). a nice dinner, and the providers keep coming." DHR made child care licensing an automatic first star in The executive branch, policy makers, advocates, and Quality Stars. This means that all licensed providers others are in the process of building an ambitious receive a much-needed funding boost from the transformation of child care-improving quality and program (ASRA, 2022). Additionally, many providers, expanding eligibility and access. like faith-based centers, are taking advantage of Recently, Alabama incorporated Health & Safety QRIS-related stabilization grants to re-invest in their requirements into the licensing process. The sites, improve training, and increase pay for staff. Department of Human Resources (DHR) now uses DHR also covers the cost of criminal background its resources in the licensing program to help meet checks to help child care providers hire staff more the child care subsidy requirements. The change has easily. 13 Increased access to child care has also been state. It has also increased the number of families achieved by supporting early childhood educators that can access the child care subsidy by expanding and expanding eligibility. The state has established eligibility up to 200% FPL and expanding eligibility apprenticeship programs at higher education for children with special needs (see Appendix 2 for institutions and designed career pathways for high Alabama's Timeline). school and college students. Alabama has leveraged federal funding and will continue to base the child care subsidy on enrollment rather than attendance and eliminate parent co-pays for most families in the 14 Blueprint for Action: Different States, Similar Objectives This section focuses and describes the incremental to building coalitions, to passing legislation, and policy wins related to child care during the past ultimately to electoral success. decade in New Mexico, and it highlights similar steps and wins in Alabama. The section lays out the steps and strategies that people in New Mexico used to LEADERSHIP FROM INSIDE achieve the wins and the bold reforms of the past few A N D O U T S I D E G OV E R N M E N T years. Individually, these incremental steps may seem IS CRITICAL . like small achievements, but in total they represent an intentional and purposeful effort to create positive change for child care in New Mexico. Child care has many passionate, diverse, and powerful constituencies in both Alabama and BUILD A BIG TENT TO New Mexico. Supporters have had disagreements. M OV E T OWA R D S H A R E D Regardless of approach, stakeholders have GOALS maintained the shared goal of expanded access to high-quality child care for all families. Some The groundbreaking success in Alabama and New organizations have used their relationships and Mexico to expand access to quality child care is the power to operate largely within government. Others, result of different and diverse people from every such as community organizers, have used their power corner of both states working for years together. and relationships with communities, educators, This success would not have been possible without parents, providers, and voters to reach goals. visionary leadership from all sectors and from every community of the states. Leadership coming from both the public and private sectors and from both inside and outside government kept the ball rolling from the early landscape analyses to agenda setting, 15 The Players Executive Branch and Agencies Engaged in Early Childhood WA N T T O B U I L D Two governors, Republican and Democrat, helped R E L AT I O N S H I P S W I T H propel legislative reform in New Mexico. The state L E G I S L AT O R S A N D agencies operating within their administrations S TA F F E R S ? had direction to operate differently. That flexibility allowed for child care policy reform, including See Advocates Share Best Practices increased data, more accountability, and improved for Establishing Credibility with New coordination and efficiency. Legislators from the Alliance for Early Success. " G OV E R N O R LU JA N G R I S H A M E S TA B L I S H E D R E A L LY H I G H G OA L S Philanthropists and advocates for child care reform in FO R T H E N E W D E PA R T M E N T AT New Mexico worked for a decade to build political will among legislators. Ongoing education of legislators T H E S TAT E . S H E I N D I CAT E D T H AT included those who supported and opposed increased S H E WA N T E D U N I V E R SA L C H I L D access to quality child care. In New Mexico, CA R E . W H E N YO U H AV E YO U R TO P philanthropists and advocates brought respected L E A D E R I N T H E S TAT E C O M E I N leaders and advocates to educate members of the A N D SAY, ' T H I S I S W H AT W E' R E legislature and the Legislative Finance Committee. G O I N G TO D O, A N D T H I S I S W H Y,' I T At the invitation of philanthropists and child care R E A L LY P R O P E L S [D E PA R T M E N T providers, legislators observed child care centers and personally met children and families who benefit S TA F F] I N TO F I G U R I N G O U T H OW from child care. These efforts helped "build the bench TO G E T T H E R E ." of legislative champions," led to the creation of the New Mexico Early Childhood Legislative Caucus, and ultimately informed policy reforms for child care. In Alabama, the governor leads with a focused goal to build the workforce and is highly engaged in expanding high-quality child care. In 2018, the B U I L D P O L I T I C A L W I L L , E D U C AT E governor announced a plan to grow Alabama's skilled- labor pipeline by 500,000 workforce-ready employees L E G I S L AT O R S , A N D N U R T U R E T H E by 2025 (Office of Alabama Governor, 2018). DHR, L E G I S L AT I V E C H A M P I O N S . which oversees the licensing of child care, and the DECE, which provides expertise on Alabama's Quality Rating System and coaching for child care providers, Philanthropy partner to maximize what the state can do to promote The Complementary Role of Foundations quality affordable child care. New Mexico is fortunate to have strong partners in philanthropy, both based in New Mexico Legislators and nationally, that have helped fund research "You need the legislature on board." During the past and convenings and helped state government decade, New Mexico has had "really strong legislators communicate the importance of child care. During on both sides of the aisle who are informed and the Martinez administration, the Los Alamos experiencing the needs of child care themselves. They National Laboratory (LANL) Foundation hosted can speak to that." 16 and facilitated stakeholder meetings that state State Capitol is commonly known, and delivered agencies could not host themselves. The timeline consistent messages to legislators and staff. in Appendix 1 highlights several key strategies and The strategy of philanthropy and advocacy to engage associated grants from foundations. According to government from the beginning facilitated buy- those in state government, in among elected officials and allowed advocates "Foundations have been key in what [New the opportunity to insert their perspectives Mexico has] been able to do, because there are into legislative agenda setting. These stronger limitations with federal and state money. It's relationships paid off during legislative sessions not as nimble. We can't roll it out quickly, and as policies were being debated and voted on and philanthropy has been critical. It has been with state agencies as new laws and policies were critical to getting this work done quickly and being implemented on the ground. This partnership not having to wait an additional fiscal year and cooperation benefited both the public and to figure out funding. Moving forward, as we private sectors. look at the next phase of what we're doing, [philanthropic partners], such as W.K. Kellogg Foundation, are investing in New Mexico in a big way, and that's been huge for us." L O O K I N G T O K I C K- S TA R T A N E FFEC TI V E A DVO CACY Foundations Are Stronger Together COA LITI O N O F FU N D E R S? The New Mexico Early Childhood Funders Group By creating the Early Childhood Funders Group in See Exponent Philanthropy's 2014, the Thornburg Foundation and its partners in "Starting an Advocacy Coalition" in philanthropy were instrumental in bringing more the Advocacy Field Manual for Small- local, state-based, and national funders to the issue Staffed Funders . and getting them to think along the same path. The Funders Group provided an effective mechanism to develop a shared long-term funding agenda, avoid Legislators came to trust and respect the Funders duplication of efforts, and stretch grant dollars to Group, and the group used this credibility to make have the most "bang for the buck." the case for big actions on early childhood (capita, The Funders Group engaged government from 2022). The Early Childhood Funders Group celebrated the start. It included government officials in its several milestones that led to systems change in early discussions from the outset. Fiscal analysts from childhood. The group supported the Business Plan state government routinely participated. These for Early Childhood in New Mexico (2018), helped meetings helped everyone (Funders Group members, to institutionalize the New Mexico Early Childhood agency staff, and legislators) better understand the Legislative Caucus with 20 members of the state overall landscape of child care, needed reforms, the legislature, and influenced the creation of the players' strengths, and how to move forward with new department. necessary reforms. Member foundations responded Local and National Funders Work to Improve by funding several research and evaluation efforts. Early Care and Education in Alabama Findings from the research and evaluation were Alabama Giving, an association of grantmaking shared with government representatives, who used organizations, works to increase, promote, and the information to develop recommendations for encourage philanthropy by helping its members legislative action. Members of the Funders Group share knowledge, collaborate and advocate to improve regularly visited the Round House, as the New Mexico 17 conditions in Alabama. Since its inception in 2011, The Business Community Alabama Giving's membership has grown to over The importance of "unexpected messengers" thirty private, corporate, and community foundations like the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce and from across the state. the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce cannot be overstated. The business community Alabama Giving helped create the Alabama School has been a driving force behind the expansion of Readiness Alliance (ASRA), whose public awareness quality child care in New Mexico. The New Mexico campaign was instrumental in increasing the business community clearly understands that state's funding for preschool sites in Alabama from investments in child care are one of the state's best approximately 4.5 million to over 96 million in 13 hopes against economic stagnation and continued years. With the support of three different governors, loss of population. During the Lujan Grisham legislators, and community leaders, Alabama Giving administration, [the business community] "helped and other advocates in the nonprofit and business immensely. Having them say, 'Look, we cannot stay communities have been successful in making high- open. We cannot keep our businesses staffed up quality Pre-K a continuing priority in Alabama. This without having child care.' They were incredible successful partnership began with a contribution partners in telling that story." by Pew Charitable Trusts in collaboration with foundations in Alabama to ASRA. Alabama Giving continues to support the Alabama School Readiness G E N E R A L LY, L O C A L , S TAT E , Alliance as it works to improve access to quality of A N D N AT I O N A L C H A M B E R S O F child care. National funders that support efforts to C O M M E R C E " WA N T A C U LT U R E O F expand high-quality child care include the Blue Cross Blue Shield, Conrad Hilton Foundation, and the W.K. DATA- D R I V E N D E C I S I O N M A K I N G Kellogg Foundation. A N D AC C O U N TA B I L I T Y M O R E I N T E G R AT E D I N A L L A S P E C T S O F The Raising Child Care Fund G OV E R N M E N T." Organizing power in New Mexico has received a big boost since 2021 when 13 grant makers, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Irving Harris Foundation, and the Early Childhood Advocates-501(c)(3)s Pritzker Children's Initiative, donated $8 million to New Mexico has a long history of successful advocacy the Raising Child Care Fund . The fund's grants help for young children, including for the expansion build the leadership power of parents, caregivers, of high-quality child care. Advocates long ago and educators to fight for change, so all families embraced the importance of accountability and have access to affordable quality care, and educators were instrumental in promoting the availability of earn livable wages (Stiffman, 2022). The power of good data on the outcomes and impacts of public this organizing effort was made clearest during New investments in children. Mexico's successful campaign to approve consistent Organizations like Growing Up New Mexico and and predictable funding for child care in 2022. New Mexico Voices for Children paved the way for In Alabama, the Alabama Institute for Social Justice others to join the movement for child care access. received a grant from the Raising Child Care Fund Nonprofit early childhood education advocates were to provide support to child care providers impacted instrumental in changing the narrative around by the COVID-19 pandemic and to increase public child care in New Mexico, and they paved the way investment in early learning by engaging in workforce for national and state-based foundations to engage organizing through child care centers, directors and in policy reform. Advocates were the first to extend staff in 15 of Alabama's Black Belt counties. 18 the olive branch of cooperation to their longstanding results faster. Advocates with 501(c)(4) dollars can play partners in the business community when industry's on a more level playing field with their special interest needs for child care became immediate and pressing. counterparts. 501(c)(4) funders can close the "power Without strong and savvy advocates, philanthropists gap" confronted by advocates for children and change would not have had partners in whom they could the trajectory for millions of young children. OLÉ and invest to press for change. NMVC Action Fund relied on their 501(c)(4) status in New Mexico to make gains for child care. Community Parents, Child Care Educators, and Change Action, Impact Fellows Action Fund, and others Community Organizers-501(c)(3)s supported the c4 work. Parents, child care educators, home-based child care providers, and grassroots organizers have Child Care Association and Affiliated Child rarely received the credit and support they deserve Care Providers as drivers of policy reform. New Mexico has set the Child care is a business, and the businesses engaged bar high for other states, leaders, and organizations in providing child care fiercely protect their interests. interested in genuinely engaging those with lived Without the support of the child care industry and its experience in changing state law. influential lobbyists, reform to the child care system would be difficult if not impossible. Fortunately, New Grassroots organizing had a huge role in both Mexico's providers see the benefit from the proposed securing legislative reform and in promoting and system of child care in New Mexico. Thanks to state securing long-term, sustainable state funding efforts to ensure that providers are reimbursed for the for early childhood. OLÉ and New Mexico Voices actual cost of child care, many child care providers, for Children were instrumental in getting the or operators, in New Mexico see the new system as a amendment on the ballot so voters could decide lifeline, not business-killing competition. whether to create a permanent fund for child care. Then, they and the parents, educators, and According to the current Cabinet Director, the home-based child care providers who volunteer for administration has been "really connected with them were instrumental in drumming up support providers since the beginning of the administration. for the amendment among voters, which passed There's a lot of communication across all levels. A overwhelmingly, in part thanks to their efforts. lot of input was given about what we need to do…The New Mexico Child Care and Education Association In Alabama, the Alabama Institute for Social Justice was incredibly effective and organized…They played a seeks to launch The Alabama Movement for Child significant role in helping tell the story." Care and build a more expansive movement for child care that will initially focus on child care as Recruit Unexpected and Historically a public good to increase access and affordability; Marginalized Messengers workforce development to address training and skill-set needs, wage issues, etc.; and removing the The best messengers are often people who have Market Rate Survey tool (Early Childhood Funders nothing to gain or lose by promoting a social Collaborative, n.d). movement's priorities. Policymakers hear from paid staff of traditional nonprofit advocacy organizations 501(c)(4)s or their paid lobbyists over and over and may come to Nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(4) have more question their connection to community. It's best if legal freedom to pursue an active role in lobbying for policymakers consider: "Why in the world does this government financing than charitable organizations, or person visiting me–teacher, minister, police officer, 501(c)(3)s. 501(c)(4) organizations can operate more like school counselor, parent, business CEO, foundation the corporations and special interests that traditionally garner the most political attention and achieve bigger 19 donor or trustee–care about this issue? She won't committees at the Round House. With regard to make any money, and it won't help her directly. It passing the amendment related to the Land Grant must matter to ordinary folks." Permanent Fund, 501(c)(4) organizations in New Mexico, like OLÉ and NMVC Action Fund, sought Foundations and advocacy coalitions should find and received funding from the Impact Fellows Action and aggressively recruit people beyond the usual, Fund and Community Change Action. professional advocates and professional lobbyists to support their policy goals and help build public will for increased access to quality child care. For example, ADOPT A SHARED in 2017, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation supported the G O A L T H AT R E F L E C T S U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in its efforts INTERESTS OF KEY to inform and activate state and local chambers of CONSTITUENCIES commerce and the business community to support high-quality child care as a critical component of the Leaders for improved access to quality child care in early education system. New Mexico "organized in a meaningful way that moved people together toward defined outcome In New Mexico, unexpected messengers for early goals." Shared goals must be identified and defined childhood issues included the Pediatric Society, with a reliance on feedback from people and Council for a Strong America, and chambers of organizations inside and outside government, child commerce (Greater Albuquerque, Hispanic, New care educators and providers, parents, and a review Mexico, Santa Fe), and others. of the relevant research. In considering a long-term Funders and advocacy coalitions have a responsibility goal, players should acknowledge that child care is to use their influence and resources to broaden an essential component of the early childhood and political conversations to include people and education system, and the fight will be a long game. organizations who are often left out. The ethos of "nothing about us without us" became more than a slogan in New Mexico. Historically marginalized B E PAT I E N T. C H A N G E C A N TA K E communities do not want or need foundations or T I M E . E X P E C T T O AC H I E V E advocacy organizations to speak for them. Instead, R E S U LT S OV E R S E V E R A L they need funders who will support their efforts to L E G I S L AT I V E S E S S I O N S , A N D build the power of communities to speak on their S E Q U E N C E AC T I O N AC C O R D I N G LY. own behalf (Sabo, et al., 2020). Leverage National Networks around the Issue New Mexico's shared goal is to allocate adequate funding for child care and provide it as a public good. Funders, advocates, and community organizers This means providing all families with access to can leverage national networks in support of child affordable high-quality child care and advancing child care. The New Mexico Early Childhood Funders care educators in all settings, including home-based Group looked to other states and national models for settings run by family, friends, and neighbors. All inspiration and replicable models of effective funding players embracing the shared goal must understand collaboratives. The Alliance for Early Success and and accept that groups within the "big tent" answer to Frontera Strategy provided technical assistance to their own constituencies and will adopt different, but the Funders Group. Funders and advocates can bring complementary, strategies to meet a shared goal. national experts to speak to funders and advocates in New Mexico and to testify in front of the appropriate 20 DO THE RESEARCH AND Research can contribute to common understanding. PROMOTE ITS FINDINGS For example, research can help people adopt shared definitions of concepts, such as consensus on Few issues have garnered comparable support across definitions of access and quality and how to measure political parties, across executive administrations, them. Research can define what it means to be an and even between legislative chambers as quality early childhood educator, suggest how educators child care. New Mexico has proven that smart and should be prepared, and suggest how to compensate thoughtful people can agree on smart and forward- educators. Research can show policymakers what thinking public policies, if they are grounded in data does and does not work in the state's efforts to and have broad public and voter support. maximize its scarce resources. Rigorous research conducted throughout the "long game" is key. Policy work in early childhood in New Mexico has been firmly anchored in the best available WA N T T O I M P R O V E research. Policies have been evidence-based and have T H E I M PA C T O F D ATA reflected stakeholder interests. Data build confidence AND RESEARCH IN THE across sectors. P O LI CY A R E N A? Participatory research has gathered and incorporated See Exponent Philanthropy's feedback from people with lived experience, like "Develop and Use Good Data" in the child care educators and providers and parents. Advocacy Field Manual for Small- Policymakers in New Mexico prefer primary research Staffed Funders. completed in New Mexico over the application of the country's or another state's data to the New Mexican context. Generally, rigorous research around issue areas: Understand and Define Problems • Creates important foundations on which to build and Examine Potential Solutions • Provides stable ground on which other funders, Academia, advocates, the business community, policymakers, and stakeholders can stand legislators and other state policymakers, and • Makes it easier for the issue to be accepted by philanthropy contributed to research on different people on both sides of the political isle aspects of early childhood in New Mexico. Economist Kelly O'Donnell authored an early landscape analysis • Lends itself and the associated issue to of early childhood. It was the first comprehensive fewer criticisms analysis of early childhood in New Mexico and • Facilitates targeted requests for funding from addressed these topics: policymakers and other funders • Issue areas and unmet needs Conduct Evaluation • Actors, allies, and potential opponents Evaluation is critical during and after policy reform. • Funders and funding sources As policy reforms kicked in, New Mexico conducted • Opportunities to address and momentum program and project evaluations to ensure programs were being implemented as intended and defined • Costs and return on investment measurable interim outcomes were being met. • Political issues and opportunities for bipartisan Previously developed strategic plans should be used efforts and bipartisan consensus to design the evaluations. Evaluations can emphasize 21 challenges and lessons learned, so that stakeholders Promote the Research and can make mid-course corrections. Evaluation Do not leave research findings lost on a website. Evaluations must address return on investment. In Early on, develop a communications plan. While New Mexico, policymakers use outcomes data to the research is in the field, start planning for the drive further improvements to child care. Examples of dissemination of its findings. Funders of research can shorter-term outcomes include longitudinal analyses support a champion to carry the message forward and of state and federal spending on child care assistance, promote research findings to appropriate audiences. average monthly cost of child care assistance per If the research firm or university does not excel at child, child care assistance enrollment, child care promotion, find a communications firm to ensure educator and center director wages, and parental that the right audiences understand and can apply workforce participation (NMLFC, 2021). Longer-term the research. outcomes can include those related to child welfare, school readiness, reading levels by third grade, and increased workforce participation and productivity. "CHILD CARE AFFECTS EVERY The impacts of the early childhood department and FA M I LY M E M B E R , E V E R Y the influx of state and federal funding will likely be B U S I N E S S . P E O P L E U N D E R S TA N D hugely impactful in New Mexico. However, it's going T H E N E E D A N D C A N R E L AT E T O to take time to assess these impacts on the state's children and families. All assessments, including IT ON SOME LEVEL , WHETHER those named above, must consider the impacts of THE Y NEED CHILD CARE , THE Y 'RE Covid-19, New Mexico's relatively slow population E M P L OY I N G P E O P L E T H AT N E E D growth, and its declining birth rate, which between I T, O R T H E Y ' R E A N AU N T, U N C L E , 2010 and 2019, fell by 19% (NMLFC, 2021, April). O R G R A N D PA R E N T. I T ' S N O T A HARD ISSUE TO E XPL AIN WHEN Build Evidence Base of Programs E D U C AT I N G L E G I S L AT O R S … I T ' S and Test Innovative Programs A B A S I C I S S U E . E V E R Y B O DY I S Evaluations and pilots of innovative programs can T R Y I N G T O N AV I G AT E T H I S I N O N E help to create and strengthen the evidence base for WAY O R A N O T H E R ." programs and increase the likelihood of expansion and funding from other sources. They are often instrumental in moving policy and obtaining funding from state government. The business community, B U I L D B I PA R T I S A N for example, has demanded measurable outcomes L E G I S L AT I V E S U P P O R T to ensure that investments in quality child care are achieving promised results. Private funders in New Mexico supported evaluations by academic Even in states with one political party in firm control, institutions and private research firms and nonprofits bipartisan support helps to pass reforms, then helps for projects such as supplemental pay incentives for ensure that the reforms last. For many years, the child care workers. Often, foundations can support Early Childhood Funders Group continued to be the testing of innovative programs with pilots when viewed as an honest broker of information regardless government is unable to accept the risk. of whether there was a Republican or Democratic administration. Foundations within the group remained as independent as possible and were seen as trusted resources for nonpartisan data, research, 22 and information. To build long-lasting bipartisan Consistent messaging from multiple voices support for early childhood, the Legislative Caucus contributes to traction on both sides of the aisle. launched with Republican and Democrat co-chairs. In Alabama, effective messages to promote child "Making sure you have champions on both sides of care include its contributions to brain development, the aisle is important." improving equity in rural areas, and achieving outcomes for children, families, and the state. "In Suggestions to maintain bipartisan: Alabama, the magic word, aside from 'football,' • "Listen to and understand as many perspectives as is 'workforce.'" possible. 'What are the issues that are bothering you? What is the situation?'" KNOW THE LOCAL, • Determine common issues and start working R E G I O N A L , A N D S TAT E from there. CONTEXT AND USE IT • Determine "common themes that are going T O YO U R A D VA N TA G E to bring people together and allow you to build relationships." In New Mexico, statewide leaders gathered feedback from diverse constituencies to inform their policy • Understand the motivations and interests of the agendas. They collected input from people across constituencies to whom elected officials are most the state, tribal communities, parents, child care accountable, then adopt their language. providers, and other groups and incorporated their • Be patient and continue to build relationships. perspectives into decisions. Much of this work "Some people are going to be your 'frenemies,' and is relationship-based, especially regarding tribal you must continue building those relationships." communities, and "any hiccup can break that Created during the Martinez administration, the relationship. It can break, and it's very hard to bring Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC) is a group that it back." makes recommendations and advises the government and legislature regarding early learning issues in New Mexico. When it began, it encouraged an equal "IT' S NOT JUST ABOUT number of members affiliated with each political SEQUENCING . IT' S ABOUT DOING party to promote bipartisanship. Members included THINGS IN THE RIGHT ORDER, providers of child care, home visiting services, and AT T H E R I G H T PAC E I N YO U R Pre-K, people from the business community, and PA R T I C U L A R S TAT E ." state agency staff. The meetings encouraged "different points of view, and it was just a beautiful mess." The focus was on the shared goal of increasing access to In the movement to provide access to affordable high-quality programs. quality child care to all families, statewide leaders After Council meetings, members took the discussion in government and advocacy must "understand their back to their own constituencies. The ELAC allowed state, its population, the workforce, the stakeholders, agency staff to educate legislators regardless of and the movers and shakers of each community. political party. Many felt that the original ELAC Those are the kinds of people you need to get to know. could have been more effective, yet proponents felt Part of the state will be able to move forward, and it was a good bipartisan venue to send the message another big part will not be ready." out to different groups of people across New Mexico. In Alabama, DHR solicits feedback from the Child According to some, relationships were built, which Care Citizens Coordinating Committee, a group later contributed to achieving goals. 23 with a broad base of stakeholders. Feedback from rooms. Smart scheduling around other meetings this committee allows DHR to gauge opportunities, during the session encouraged participation in the support, and opposition. caucus, and legislation drove discussions. Meetings outside of session can allow caucus members to STRENGTHEN THE share perspectives and take deep dives into subjects. INFRASTRUCTURE To be successful, caucus members must be held accountable or duly rewarded for their votes. FOR SUCCESS The Early Childhood Funders Group helped to set up and supported the caucus by providing Develop and Vet a Strong Policy data and research to it, running the logistics and Framework administering the caucus, and inviting relevant The Business Plan for Early Childhood in New Mexico stakeholders and agency staff to share information. is viewed by many in New Mexico as a successful Representative Rebecca Dow (R) and Senator Michael framework and as a key lever in ultimately achieving Padilla (D) were the first co-chairs, highlighting the the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. bipartisan nature of the proceedings. It was the first time a document positioned early childhood as a system in New Mexico and planted S E Q U E N C I N G M AT T E R S the idea of the department. To engage government in planning and increase New Mexico has been successful in expanding buy-in from government, the plan did not spell access to quality child care because the state's out all details of how to move forward. Rather, it leaders were thoughtful in sequencing legislation, described the funding landscape and how to grow appropriations, and policy reforms. Programmatic it. The plan focused on improving governance as expansion did not happen without research on needs a precursor to requests for additional funding. It and effective strategies. Funding was not secured offered strategies for improving the early childhood until governance reforms were in place to ensure the system. It described potential steps New Mexico best use of public funds. Though key players around could follow to strengthen its early childhood system child care were flexible and ready to pivot in a rapidly and included metrics and accountability measures. changing political landscape, in retrospect, the A cost calculator estimated costs and time frames of achievements seem intentionally aligned. Refer to different assumptions on participation rates, salaries, Appendix 1 for New Mexico's timeline. and many other facets of the early childhood system (capita, 2022). Growing Up New Mexico vetted and Accountability, Data, and promoted the Business Plan for Early Childhood in New Measurement Mexico to legislators, advocates, community members, Under Governor Martinez, New Mexico built and other stakeholders. a framework for data and accountability. Good data are the foundation of accountability for the Institutionalize the Issue expenditure of public funds. Accountability and The creation of the New Mexico Early Childhood measurable and meaningful outcomes can increase Legislative Caucus institutionalized early childhood confidence among the public and legislators for and policy conversations about the issue at the increased appropriations. Round House. Caucuses provide a space for House and Senate leaders, Democrats and Republicans, • The 2011 Early Childhood Care and Education Act to safely discuss issues and hash out differences (SB 120) created a State Early Learning Advisory behind the scenes instead of in committee hearing Council to establish a comprehensive early 24 childhood care and education system through an getting worse outcomes. This was nuts. This aligned continuum of state and private programs. was grossly inefficient. • The 2013 Home Visiting Accountability Act Preliminary work leading to this well-coordinated (HB 333) created a framework for standards-based governance system included the landscape home visiting, ensuring a level of quality and analysis, the framework for accountability, and the consistency in home visiting programs across the development and vetting of the Business Plan that state. New Mexico's Home Visiting Accountability explained benefits of and opportunities for reform. Act is viewed as a model for other accountability As understanding and momentum grew, key players plans and measures. began to advocate for a consolidated department that • The 2018 Child Care Accountability Act (HB 193) focused on early childhood. requires a report on outcomes and data to improve its quality rating improvement system and the support it provides to home- and center- based child care providers. Much of HB 193 was F O R A S TAT E - B Y- incorporated into the new department via SB 22. S TAT E A N A LY S I S A N D R A N K I N G S O F E A R LY These acts set the groundwork for the state to prioritize reporting, provide data on outcomes, C A R E A N D E D U C AT I O N and highlight results of government spending G OV E R N A N C E SYS TE M S for programs for young children. The 2018 act See BPC's Revisiting Integrated strengthened policy infrastructure and led to Efficient Early Care and increased capacity in child care. Since enacting these Education Systems . three accountability acts for early childhood, New Mexico has been working to ensure that data on performance will be available to policymakers and educators on a real-time basis. During the 2019 Legislative Session (SB 22), New Mexico created a stand-alone, cabinet-level Governance department, the fourth of its kind in the United States. The New Mexico Early Childhood Education The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department and Care Department (ECECD), which began in July People across the state were frustrated. Key players 2020, oversees New Mexico's home visiting, early in early childhood wanted a well-coordinated intervention, child care licensing and assistance, mixed governance system. Leaders from across the state, delivery Pre-K, food and nutrition, quality initiatives particularly in the business community, openly and the Head Start State Collaboration Office. The questioned the wisdom of investing in the existing department also has an Assistant Secretary for Native uncoordinated system of governance. American Early Childhood Education and Care. The accountability acts for early childhood, home visiting, In New Mexico, there were different and child care are now the department's responsibility. departments trying to address the same It must prepare and regularly update a strategic plan issue, no consistent messaging, no and a detailed four-year finance plan, specify outcomes, alignment, no databases communicating and provide performance data. with each other, no case management processes, and none of the metrics aligned. In 2020, as the new department was launching, And so, structurally, we were spending a ton stakeholders engaged in a year-long process to more money per capita than other states and develop a priority framework for the department. The Hunt Institute facilitated the process and 25 developed the final framework . Participants, multiple departments. The director of the Children's some of whom viewed this process as a "key Cabinet supervises coordination among every step" in good governance, included legislators, department that touches on the lives of children in department secretaries, business leaders, experts New Mexico (Solovitch, 2019). in early childhood, and representatives from tribal communities and college and universities. The cabinet-level department of early childhood in FOR MORE ON New Mexico has led to improved governance and DEVELOPING A has had a "domino effect," helping pave the way for CHILDREN'S CABINET increased public resources devoted to early childhood. It has reduced duplication, increased efficiency, and See Strong and Sustainable greatly improved coordination. Like the focus on Children's Cabinets by the Aspen data that proceeded it, the newly focused governance Institute and Forum for Youth structure has been a critical part of the foundation Investment. upon which the state has been able to prioritize and then expand access to quality child care. The Children's Cabinet Financing Children's cabinets are designed to break down silos Securing Adequate Funding across government agencies and service providers Funding for child care in New Mexico may be unique to improve outcomes for children and families. They and difficult to replicate, but every state has revenue can help maintain children's issues as priorities for sources into which it can tap. Ultimately, it's about the government, and they can advance a coherent political will and priorities. All states can adopt vision for orienting all programs serving children and equitable, robust, stable, and durable revenue-generating families (Aspen Institute & Forum for Youth, 2022). policies that infuse significant, additional public Governor Lujan Grisham revived the Children's investment into increasing access to quality child care. Cabinet (originally created in 2003) in New States should find creative opportunities to expand Mexico in 2019 and elevated it to the executive funding, not supplant funding for public education or office. The Children's Cabinet studies and makes health and human services. recommendations to maximize outcomes for children "Sometimes, governments make the mistake of and youth under age 21. The cabinet emphasizes thinking that an effective organization will result in collaboration at all levels of government, alignment effective programs and practices, but early childhood of efforts with the philanthropic and non-profit programs, and specifically child care, have been community so that the government's efforts are better historically underfunded forever" in New Mexico. coordinated and impactful, creative approaches and Hence, initial efforts in New Mexico focused on partnerships, and information sharing and support adequately funding its early childhood system. from the National Governors Association and other states (Padilla, 2019). The Children's Cabinet includes the governor, lieutenant governor, and secretaries of 26 The Early Childhood Trust Fund: A Dedicated augment federal funds for prenatal-to-five services Fund to Early Childhood and the state's annual appropriations to the Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) " T H E R E WA S B R OA D S U P P O R T (Zero to Three, 2020). It receives energy-related tax F O R T H E E A R LY C H I L D H O O D collections in years when total state cash reserves exceed 25% of spending levels. The Trust Fund is one T R U S T F U N D [F R O M T H E of the first of its kind in the United States. In Fiscal B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I T Y] A N D Year (FY) 2022, the fund distributed $20 million to O T H E R S . I T I S B A S I C A L LY the ECECD. After FY22, the Trust Fund will distribute A S AV I N G S AC C O U N T W I T H the greater of $30 million or 5% of the 3-year average S U R P L U S R E V E N U E S D E D I C AT E D of the fund to the department (Office of the Governor, T O E A R LY C H I L D H O O D. W E 2020). The Early Childhood Trust Fund is growing T H O U G H T I T WA S A F I S C A L LY due to increasing oil and gas revenues, and legislators can decide to invest these funds in child care. R E S P O N S I B L E T H I N G T O D O." Increased and Recurring Appropriations for Child Care After years of improving the collection and use of data Figure 1 depicts increased funding for child care in and creating the new department, New Mexico was ready New Mexico. Since 2012, total Child Care Assistance for the big lift. Business, parents, legislators, and the appropriations increased from $82.9 million to $214.8 governor agreed it was time to act on securing a stable million. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of and consistent source of funding for quality child care. 2021 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Discretionary Supplemental Funds added a surplus In 2020, HB 83 established the Early Childhood Trust of $62 million to the child care assistance budget. Fund with an initial appropriation of $300 million. Within the total, federal and other funding almost The program provides a stable funding source to Fig 1. Appropriations (in Millions of Dollars) for Child Care Assistance Direct Payments by Funding Source, New Mexico, 2012-2023 $180 $250 $160 $200 $140 $120 $150 $100 $80 $100 $60 $40 $50 $20 $0 $0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 General Fund Federal & Other Funds Total (Millions) Source: NM Legislative Finance Committee. Legislating for Results: Post-Session Review, 55th Legislature, Second Session, April 2022 , Appendix P. Other funds include: OSF, USDA Employment & Training, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), ARPA, and CCDBG. 27 tripled, and General Fund allocation toward Child In 2021, the New Mexico legislature approved a Care Assistance almost doubled ($26.8 million to constitutional amendment that permitted the state $49.5 million) (NMLFC, 2022). to tap its Permanent Land Grant Fund (LGPF) for early childhood education and at-risk children. In November 2022, 70% of voters chose to devote an additional 1.25% of distribution of the Land Grant WA N T T O R E F O R M C H I L D Permanent Fund to these issues. For early childhood C A R E F I N A N C I N G I N YO U R education, that's more than $125 million a year. S TAT E ? For ideas and strategies, see Build Stronger: A Child Care Policy Rio Arriba Taos Colfax Union San Juan 81% 67% 68% 86% 67% 49% Roadmap for Transforming our 63% Los Alamos Nation's Child Care System by the Mora 74% Harding Alliance for Early Success. McKinley Sandoval 58% 85% 70% Santa Fe San Miguel 83% 81% Quay Cibola Bernalillo 71% Guadalupe 54% 74% Valencia 77% Recent policy changes have been funded by Child 66% Torrance Curry 60% De Baca 57% Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and ARPA/ 48% Catron Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Socorro Roosevelt 50% 71% Lincoln 54% Appropriations Act (CRRSA) dollars to expand access 61% Chaves and increase rates. New Mexico took the wise step Sierra 57% of using federal funds to invest in system reform, Grant 66% Lea 71% 46% not in non-recurring grants to child care programs Otero 60% Eddy like many other states. Moving forward, the early Luna Doña Ana 73% 53% childhood system will need additional revenues Hidalgo 66% 66% from the Early Childhood Trust Fund or the General Fund to sustain the policy changes. With meaningful accountability measures in place and a consolidated Voted to dedicate a share of the LGPF to early childhood education department, legislators will likely have greater 76% to 86% 51% to 75% 46% to 50% confidence in passing appropriations and securing sustainable funding sources for child care. Voters in New Mexico went to the polls to Tapping into the Land Grant Permanent demonstrate their support for early childhood Fund: Moving toward Early Childhood education and care. The map shows a strong majority Education as a Public Good of voters in counties across the state supported the The New Mexico Land Grant Permanent Fund, at amendment. In only 4 counties, less than a majority around $25 billion, is one of the largest sovereign of voters (46% to 50%) supported the amendment. wealth funds in the world. It grows annually based In 8 counties, over 75% of voters supported on a rolling five-year average, which protects the fund the amendment. from drops in the stock market and reductions in oil and gas revenues. The state currently distributes With 70% approval statewide in New Mexico, 5% of the fund, annually, to the New Mexico policymakers can expect more Americans to vote Public Education Department and 20 other public for early childhood education and care in other institutions (Dunlap, 2022). 28 states in the coming years. That electoral tailwind the digital sphere with their video testimonies will come via support for ballot measures or in and "I Voted" photos (M. Henderson, personal support of candidates who work to expand access to communication, Nov. 10, 2022). OLÉ, New Mexico quality child care for all families. For over 10 years, Voices for Children, the Center for Civic Policy, Semilla legislators, child care advocates, and community Strategies, and others were key in the successful organizers worked to achieve stable and consistent campaign. Key funders included the W.K. Kellogg funding for early childhood education and care. Now Foundation and the Raising Child Care Fund. an executive was in place who agreed. Governor Lujan Grisham publicly supported the amendment when it mattered most. "A G O O D I D E A I S N O T E N O U G H The New Mexico Legislature must choose to sustain TO MAK E CHANGE . OLÉ HAD A the Permanent Land Grant Fund's dedication of S T R AT E GY T O B U I L D P OW E R ." funds to early childhood. They must also approve gains made in recent years, like increased subsidies, expanded eligibility, and waiving of co-pays. This Successes could not have happened without aligned support will be put to the test. The 2023 legislative c3 and c4 work. The early and consistent work of session will be the first time that the Lujan Grisham community organizers positioned aligned 501(c)(4)s administration asks for the state's General Fund to unseat obstructionist legislators in 2020 who kept to support child care (E. Groginsky, personal the amendment off the ballot for 10 years. communication, Nov. 16, 2022). Building Child Care Capacity In 2010-2011, New Mexico Voices for Children conducted initial research for tapping into the LGPF. Build Capacity before Expanding Access New Mexico Voices for Children and their partners New Mexico understands that without a child care provided extensive public education through media supply, expanded eligibility is irrelevant at best and events over the years that built support for the policy, frustrating for working parents at worst. For years, both to get the amendment through the legislature the state has aggressively invested in supporting and approved by voters once on the ballot. "Base- the child care workforce, in stabilizing child care building" began a decade ago, and community providers, and in building a strong system of home- organizers used their broad networks on a host of based child care. While more work needs to be done other issues, like completing the Census, to build to ensure that supply meets growing demand, New their base for early childhood issues, including Mexico is building capacity as fast as it can. child care. More Money, Education, and Training for the Child Care Workforce Overwhelming voter support for early childhood Child care educators are historically under-paid education and care is not an accident. Long-term and under-appreciated. Child care educators often organizing built a statewide base of early educators work for poverty wages and operate in high-poverty and parents who led the fight, filling earned and communities where parents simply cannot afford to paid media with the faces and stories of real New pay for quality child care. Mexicans who would benefit from the measure's passage. Staff and countless volunteers knocked, Supporting the early childhood workforce is key to called, and texted potential voters to remind them expanding quality child care. Without staff, there not to skip the question on the ballot. Community is no child care. Without well-trained and well- organizers and advocacy organizations filled compensated staff, there is no quality child care. Post- 29 Fig 2. Appropriations (in Millions of Dollars) for Early Childhood Professional Development by Funding Source, New Mexico, 2012-2023 $12 $10 $8 $6 $4 $2 $0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 General Fund Early Childhood Trust Fund Total (Millions) Source: NM Legislative Finance Committee. Legislating for Results: Post-Session Review, 55th Legislature, Second Session, April 2022 , Appendix P. pandemic, support for the workforce added urgency planning, creation, and growth of the professional as providers struggle to find and keep staff. In New development program for early educators at CNM. Mexico, General Fund allocation to Early Childhood This led to funding to create and grow CNM's Early Professional Development increased by 12 times since Childhood Mentorship Network, which encompasses 2012. Total allocation, including the Early Childhood a credentialing process and stipends for mentors. Trust Fund, has increased by 20 times (Figure 2) The state created sustainable funding streams for (NMLFC, 2022). professionalization. Accomplishments (noted in Appendix 1 . Timeline) that advanced the workforce include private, T H E " WO R K F O R C E I S T H E philanthropic investments to: B I G G E S T B A R R I E R T O G R OW T H . THERE' S A LOT OF OPPORTUNIT Y • Endow early childhood faculty positions. T O B E M O R E C R E AT I V E A N D • Revise the early childhood teacher preparation I N N OVAT I V E " W H E N A DVA N C I N G system through the Higher Education Task Force. Revisions included creation of practicum T H E WO R K F O R C E . guidelines and awarding higher education credit for training completed. New Mexico has expanded the pipeline to train • Establish early childhood teacher residency and prepare a highly effective early childhood models and apprenticeship and mentorship workforce. For example, the Thornburg Foundation programs at colleges and universities in and its partners established an early childhood New Mexico. educator mentorship program at Central New • Increase number of bilingual early childhood Mexico Community College (CNM). From 2015 to educators through a degree and bilingual 2018, private philanthropic funds supported the certification pathway. 30 State investments that advanced the With this funding, the ECECD will address the workforce include: early educator shortage while also preserving and enhancing quality early education services for • Incentives for college students to complete their children by increasing the number of bilingual program in early childhood or infant family studies. early childhood educators in New Mexico • Incentives for early childhood educators who receive through an Associate in Arts degree and bilingual certification in Teaching English to Speakers of certification pathway. The current administration Other Languages (TESOL) or tribal certified. is helping to create the early childhood bilingual • One-time $1,500 payments to child care workers certificate and has offered one-time incentives in New Mexico to support those who provided for bilingual educators and for early childhood services through the pandemic. educators who are TESOL or tribal certified. Following New Mexico's example, other states can: • Develop a salary scale for early childhood educators and program directors (including benefits) that WA N T M O R E is aligned with the professional designations I N F O R M AT I O N O N included in the state's career ladder and with S H O R T- A N D L O N G -T E R M compensation levels commensurate with other S T R AT E G I E S T O A D VA N C E professions requiring similar education levels and THE CHILD CARE responsibilities. Use this to drive advocacy, subsidy PROFESSION? rate levels, and revenue strategies. Read Build Stronger: A Child Care • Institute salary parity when early childhood Policy Roadmap for Transforming educators have the same or similar education Our Nation's Child Care System by requirements and job responsibilities as K-12 the Alliance for Early Success. teachers, regardless of where the work takes place. In New Mexico, the state created the Competitive Pay for Professionals Grant. The application to this To promote opportunities in the workforce, the Lujan grant program is built into the licensing system, Grisham administration launched the Developing and providers who take up the opportunity Futures multimedia campaign, which highlights will see a $3 an hour wage increase for all their early childhood professionals in the prenatal to five employees. Early childhood professionals in New system. According to state government officials, for Mexico could see their pay levels increase by the multimedia campaign to succeed, there must be more than $6,000 per year under Governor Lujan competitive pay for child care educators. Grisham's plan that will use federal relief funds, at least for now, to pay for the salary bumps (Boyd, Stabilizing the Industry and Building Child 2022; Brown, 2022). Care Supply The state applied ARPA funding to build capacity • Secure public investment specifically for among child care providers. These early investments educators' compensation and benefits. are the basis for long-term systemic improvements, • Invest in educators' career and educational not one shot non-recurring grants seen in many other advancement, especially for educators of color states. In 2021, the New Mexico Early Childhood and multilingual educators (Wat, 2020). In New Education and Care Department (ECECD) invested Mexico, in 2021, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation $157 million to stabilize the child care Industry in provided funding to the New Mexico Early New Mexico. The funds went to 1,004 qualifying Childhood Education and Care Department. child care businesses across the state, constituting 31 one of the largest investments in early care and Expanding Access education in New Mexico history. This funding helped stabilize child care businesses still reeling from the economic impact of Covid-19, improved F O R T H E S U P P LY O F, recruitment and retention of child care educators, grew child care capacity, and increased access POTENTIAL NEED FOR, to quality child care for New Mexico families AND GAPS IN CHILD CARE (NMECECD, 2022). AC RO S S TH E CO U NTRY The ECECD moved quickly to create a formula to See BPC's Child Care in 35 States: equitably distribute these relief dollars, considering What we know and don't know. provider type, licensed capacity, continued operation during the pandemic, quality level, availability of infant and toddler care, and the location of businesses The waiving of co-pays and expanded eligibility using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to help families secure child care. Social Vulnerability Index. The department created From August 2021 to April 2022, the state waived an online portal to provide a streamlined application copayment for families up to 200% of the Federal process, which opened in fall 2021. ECECD received Poverty Level (FPL) (E. Groginsky, personal applications from providers in all 30 counties where communication, Nov. 16, 2022). Also, in 2021, using there are child care programs. Providers receiving ARPA funds, New Mexico raised the Child Care grants included licensed centers, large family child Assistance income eligibility from 200% FPL to 350% care homes, family child care homes, and registered FPL with a phase-out at 400% FPL, meaning a modest homes that were open or temporarily closed as of increase in income won't cause families to lose access March 11, 2021 and in good standing with Child Care to assistance. The median household income in Licensing (NMECECD, 2022). New Mexico is $51,243, and most young children in In 2022, the administration announced $10 million New Mexico live in households at or below 400%, or in grants to build child care supply. The purpose of $111,000 a year for a family of four. the new funding is to build high-quality child care In April 2022, the governor announced that New supply throughout New Mexico, especially in child Mexico, relying on federal relief dollars, will waive care deserts, where demand for care far outpaces child care subsidy copays and expand eligibility to capacity. The New Mexico Child Care Supply Building provide a year of free child care to virtually every Grant provides funding for licensed child care child in the state. It's the first state to offer no-cost providers to expand existing programs and encourage care to almost all its young children. The benefit statewide businesses to create or expand child covers families earning up to 400% FPL. Officials care for their employees. This grant will create an estimate both changes will make child care free for estimated 800 child care slots across the state. a total of 30,000 families (Parks, 2022, April). These qualifying families temporarily pay no out-of-pocket costs for child care. 32 Improving Quality and Increasing In New Mexico, the administration acknowledged Access: You Can Have It Both Ways the significant underfunding of the child care If states do not pay child care providers the actual cost system before the pandemic. They knew they had of providing child care, quality child care is impossible. to strike a delicate balance of providing expanded New Mexico understands that expanding child care eligibility and building child care capacity during the without a focus on quality is a bad investment. The national shutdown. state is choosing to expand access at a higher cost because it is choosing to not sacrifice the quality of child care for the sake of more slots. New Mexico is proving that states that focus on quantity and quality T O B E T T E R U N D E R S TA N D can expect the biggest returns in family engagement, COST MODELS AND HOW workforce participation, and positive outcomes for THEY CAN BE USED kids. A key component of the emerging New Mexico AS A TOOL TO SECURE model is the recognition that current investments in NEW FUNDING providers were insufficient and had to be transformed, See BPC's Using Cost Modeling to particularly for those providers offering services in the Design New Solutions for Child Care. state's poorest communities. In 2021, New Mexico shifted its method of WA N T T O M A K E T H E calculating reimbursement rates for child care C H I L D C A R E S U B S I DY providers who participate in the state-supported S Y S T E M M O R E E Q U I TA B L E child care subsidy system. Historically, the state paid A N D E F F E C T I V E I N YO U R providers what their low-income parents could afford S TAT E ? to pay. Often this market rate was less than the actual cost of providing quality child care. Under the new See Assessing Child Care Subsidies system, the state reimburses providers for the actual through an Equity Lens for policy cost of doing it right–allowing providers to afford to strategies. offer quality child care. As of fall 2022, only Delaware, the District of Columbia, New Mexico, and Virginia are using cost Child care subsidies provide financial assistance to estimation models to set their reimbursement rates help make child care more affordable for low-income (Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, 2022; Rodel, families with parents who are working or enrolled 2022). In New Mexico, this model is applied to in education or training programs. According to the providers in all child care settings. The increases Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, New Mexico is in subsidies deriving from the new model allow a leader in implementing an affordable child care businesses to better provide high-quality education subsidy program for families based on its high and care and better able to staff their classrooms with eligibility threshold, use of a cost-estimation model, credentialed and well-compensated professionals. and significant efforts to lower family costs over Kids, parents, employers, and taxpayers all benefit the last year. The state has the highest eligibility from the improved investments. threshold in the country as measured by the percentage of the state median income (Prenatal-to-3 New Mexico's decision to both set its reimbursement Policy Impact Center, 2022). rates at the actual cost of care and expand eligibility up to 350% FPL and then 400% FPL is 33 key to increasing both capacity and access. It is the SOLIDIFY GAINS MADE combination of these two policy changes and the WITH FEDERAL FUNDING waiving of parent copayments that provide child care operators the amount of revenues they need The federal Child Care and Development Block Grant to break even while supporting higher wages for has long been a backbone of funding for child care their staff. The state used $12.10 as the floor wage in New Mexico. Both Presidents Donald J. Trump in its cost model, which is why the state needed to and Joe Biden significantly increased federal support implement the Competitive Pay for Professionals grant for child care assistance for working families. New to allow child care providers to better compete with Mexico and other states received additional hundreds almost all other industries paying $14 to $17 per of millions in federal assistance for child care during hour for entry-level positions (E. Groginsky, personal the pandemic. Without these funds, even more of communication, Nov. 16, 2022). New Mexico's child care providers would have closed as a result of Covid-19. With this massive influx of new child care funding, T H E C O M B I N AT I O N O F S E T T I N G states had a choice to make. States could choose to R E I M B U R S E M E N T R AT E S AT T H E spend the money on one-time, non-recurring strategies AC T UA L C O S T O F C A R E A N D like emergency grants to child care providers teetering E X PA N D I N G E L I G I B I L I T Y U P T O on the brink of closure. Or state leaders could use the 350% FPL AND THEN 400% FPL federal funds as a lever for long-needed policy reform. IS K E Y TO INCRE ASING BOTH Even in crisis, improvement is possible. C A PAC I T Y A N D AC C E S S ." In consultation with child care providers and employers, the Lujan Grisham administration took a strategic approach and used its regulatory powers to both save Efforts to expand access to and improve the quality child care and prepare it for a more stable and equitable of child care have been embraced by many for-profit future. Instead of spending scarce funds on one-time providers. New Mexico chose to partner with and expenses, the Lujan Grisham administration applied support "private pay" providers as a key component New Mexico's share of federal Covid-19 relief funds of an expanded publicly funded or subsidized market. ($436 million) to transform the child care industry and In the long term, the client base of these private-pay expand capacity (Parks, 2022, Nov.). providers can grow, even as number of families who need to pay on their own may dwindle. These efforts to maximize federal funds to plant seeds for permanent systemic reform ensure that one-time federal investments will have a long-term impact. Advocates, like New Mexico Voices for Children, are " YO U C A N ' T K E E P E X PA N D I N G encouraging "lawmakers to use this additional funding AC C E S S T O A SY S T E M T H AT I S to continue the expansion of child care assistance once B R O K E N A N D U N D E R F U N D E D. YO U the federal funds expire." They request that lawmakers C A N , B U T YO U ' R E N O T G O I N G T O not use these new funds to replace or supplant existing G E T B E T T E R R E S U LT S ." funds for cradle-to-career education (A. Wallin, personal communication, Nov. 9, 2022). Alabama has built on the successes of federal funding. Several initiatives promoting quality and increased access initially supported by federal dollars are continuing after federal dollars are exhausted. 34 Next Steps: Bringing the Transformation Home SUCCESSES OF NEW suitable for each state and its own politics, economy, MEXICO AND ALABAMA and communities. ARE REPLICABLE PUT COMMUNITY IN THE Like any state, New Mexico and Alabama are unique. D R I V E R ' S S E AT Their politics and communities have made child care reform possible. Their demographic transformations While the state's leaders get much deserved credit, and economies have made child care reform critical. the people of New Mexico and Alabama drove efforts The pandemic fundamentally changed how child to expand child care access. Business groups, child care is delivered in all states. The people, leaders, and care educators, community organizers, parents, business community in New Mexico and Alabama and others demanded big change, not just internal chose to use this tumultuous period to expand access governance reform. Grassroots and grasstops leaders to child care for all its children. Much of this success demanded quality child care and provided political is replicable. leaders with a mandate for action. Communities Policymakers everywhere can learn from New Mexico across New Mexico and Alabama remind elected and Alabama. While the specifics of some policies officials that quality child care is a public good. In and reforms may be most suitable for New Mexico New Mexico, electoral results show that significant or Alabama, the process of transformation provides numbers of voters support public funding for early examples and lessons for leaders in other states and childhood education and care. localities. Leaders must be patient and understand that undertaking even one of these lessons may be considered significant instrumental change in some states. There is no wrong way to implement lessons from New Mexico and Alabama, only the way most 35 H AV E A P L A N A N D INVEST IN WORKFORCE SEQUENCE REFORMS A N D B U I L D CA PAC I T Y A C C O R D I N G LY Despite years of investment and effort, all states are New Mexico and Alabama have been successful struggling to maintain child care capacity in the because they have been methodical. New Mexico's wake of the pandemic. Growth of capacity is limited leaders had a vision for improving access to by the availability of a trained and well compensated quality child care that was grounded in data and workforce. New Mexico and Alabama are no accountability. The business community came exceptions. New Mexico is a test case for expanding on board with support for improved government the capacity of the child care sector to deliver quality coordination and efficiency. Better governance child care while simultaneously expanding access paved the way for expansion of access and bold new to more families. To pay educators and provide support for child care educators and providers. Real quality child care require that the state pay providers world implementation engaged communities, and for the actual cost of quality child care. States and in turn voters supported increased funding for early localities looking to expand access to quality child childhood care and education. care must start early and invest heavily to build child care capacity and recruit and retain the workforce FIGHT TO KEEP CHILD necessary to provide the child care for which families are now eligible. CA R E B I PA R T I S A N Early childhood education, including child care, C R E AT E A R E S P O N S I B L E has long been bipartisan in New Mexico and A G E N C Y O R S T A T U T O R I LY Alabama. The last decade has seen progress on R E Q U I R E T H AT expanding access to quality child care under RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES multiple administrations. In New Mexico, these C O O R D I N AT E administrations were Republican and Democrat. Broad voter support for sustainable funding for The New Mexico transformation of child care may early childhood education and care in New Mexico not be feasible in some states for a host of reasons. suggests that child care is an issue that plays well Regardless, the New Mexico story offers interesting with conservative and progressive voters. lessons for states where expansion of eligibility may be a longer-term proposition. The consolidation and P AY P R O V I D E R S F O R enhanced efficiency of state agency control of child ACTUAL COST OF QUALIT Y care is a practical step that could be undertaken CHILD CARE under a variety of political circumstances. New Mexico built confidence in expanding quality child care by first making sure that the government In 2021, New Mexico shifted its method of calculating agencies managing programs were coordinating reimbursement rates for child care providers. Instead and not duplicating efforts. In Alabama, under of paying providers, particularly those in low-income Governor Ivey's leadership, the Department of Human communities, an artificially low market rate, the state Resources and the Department of Early Childhood began to pay providers for the actual cost of quality Education closely collaborate and engage in formal child care. This seemingly obvious, but critically partnerships. important, measure positioned the state to help transform its entire system toward quality and will enable providers to better compensate staff. 36 V O T E R S W I L L L I K E LY S U P P O R T S U S TA I N A B L E FUNDING FOR QUALIT Y CHILD CARE Finally, in what is perhaps most transformational of all reforms, the people of New Mexico have supported state investments for improving the early childhood and education system. Through the ballot box, the state made a long-term commitment to its children. Now, New Mexico can purposefully build a quality system of child care, a well-trained and well- compensated child care workforce, and the economy it will need to remain competitive in the challenging years ahead. 37 References Adams, G. & Pratt, E. (2021, Sept.). Assessing child care subsidies Children's Funding Project & Community Change. (2022). How to through an equity lens, Urban Institute. shape a cost model happening in your state or community. Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education. (2022). First Dunlap, Susan. (2022, Oct. 5). Land Grant Permanent Fund Class Pre-K program guidelines. constitutional amendment is years in the making, NM Political Report, 2022 Elections. Alabama Department of Human Resources. (2021). Child care licensing and performance standards for day care centers and Early Childhood Funders Collaborative. (n.d). Alabama Institute nighttime centers regulations and procedures. for Social Justice, Project summary. Alabama School Readiness Alliance (ASRA). (2022). A $40 million Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. (2018, May 14). Governor win for early education and care in Alabama, Blog post. Kay Ivey announces "Success Plus" initiative to prepare state's workforce [Press release]. Alabama Works! (2021). News & updates. Hunt Institute. (2020). The early childhood landscape in New Alliance for Early Success. (2020). 2020 50-state progress and Mexico. landscape report. Hunt Institute. (2020, Nov.). New Mexico Early Childhood Alliance for Early Success. (2021). 2021 50-state progress and Education and Care Department Transition Committee, final report landscape report. and 18-month action plan. Alliance for Early Success. (2022, Sept. 7). Advocates share best Kids Count Data Book, New Mexico 2022 Kids Count profile, Alabama practices for establishing credibility with new legislators. 2022 Kids Count profile, Annie E. Casey Foundation. Aspen Institute & Forum for Youth Investment. (2022). Strong Kerber, L., & Sabo, J. (2022, Sept. 21). Policy reform in practice: and sustainable children's cabinets: a discussion guide for state An evaluation of the early childhood initiative of the Thornburg leaders. Foundation, Luminosa Research. Boyd, Dan. (2022, Oct. 6). Governor to tap federal funds for early May, A., Hanna, H., & Lyons, P. (2022, April 27). Early childhood: childhood worker pay boost, Albuquerque Journal. What's governance got to do with it?, National Conference of State Brown, Scott. (2022, Oct. 6). New grant means pay raise for NM Legislatures (NCSL). child care providers, KRQE News. NCSL. Early Care and Education Bill Tracking, Searchable capita. (2022, Aug.). Collaboration for strengthening early childhood database. education in New Mexico: A case study. New Mexico Early Childhood Education & Care Department. Capito, J. & Rodriguez-Duggan, J, Workman, S. (2021, June). (2022, Oct. 20). ECECD invests $157 million to stabilize New Understanding the cost of quality child care in New Mexico: A cost- Mexico child care industry [Press release]. estimation model to inform subsidy rate setting. Prenatal to Five New Mexico Early Childhood Funders Group. (2018). Business Fiscal Strategies. plan for early childhood in New Mexico. Child care assistance for healthcare community. (2020). Alabama New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee (NMLFC) (2021, Department of Human Resources. April). State population trends, New Mexico Legislature, Spotlight, Child care providers, parents call for more pre-k, child care Program Evaluation Unit. funds. (2023, April 11). Alabama Political Reporter, Legislature. NMLFC. (2021). 2021 Accountability report: Early childhood, New Children's Funding Project & Community Change. (2022). How Mexico Legislature. to initiate a cost model in your state or community. 38 NMLFC. (2022, April). Legislating for results: Post-session review, Ross, Jeana. (2019). History of Early Childhood Education in 55th Legislature, second session, Appendix P. New Mexico Alabama, 2000-2019 [unpublished manuscript]. Legislature. Ross, Jeana. (2020). 2020 Legislative Presentation, The Alabama New Mexico Legislature (NMLEGIS), Bill finder. Department of Early Childhood Education [PowerPoint slides]. Office of the Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham. (2020, Feb. 18). Sabo, J., Kerber, L., & Carroll, A. (2020). Advocacy field manual Governor creates Early Childhood Trust Fund [Press release]. for small-staffed funders, Frontera Strategy for Exponent Philanthropy. Padilla, Mariana. (2019, Aug. 16). Children's Cabinet [PowerPoint slides]. Solovitch, Sara. (2019, March 9). Q&A with Mariana Padilla, New Mexico children's czar, Searchlight New Mexico, Las Cruces Sun Parks, Casey. (2022, April 28). New Mexico to offer a year of free News. child care to most residents, The Washington Post. Start Early (formerly The Ounce). (2019). 2019 State policy update Parks, Casey. (2022, Nov. 4). She crossed New Mexico on a report, pg. 90. mission: Transform the child-care industry, The Washington Post. Stiffman, Eden. (2022, Aug. 9). Big dollars for little kids: early Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center. (2022). Child Care Subsidies, childhood education, The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Prenatal-to-3 state policy roadmap 2022. Wat, Albert. (2020). Build stronger: A child care policy roadmap ReadyNation (2019, Jan. 6). Want to grow the economy? Fix the for transforming our nation's child care system, Alliance for Early child care crisis. Success. Report of the Alabama Workforce and Wage Gap Task Force, Dec. 29, Zero to Three. (2020, March 12). New Mexico establishes Early 2022. Childhood Trust Fund. Rodel. (2022, March 17). Delaware recognizing the true cost of quality early learning. 39 Appendix 1. Timeline for New Mexico Timeline of Achievements and Policy Wins related to Child Care and Child Care Workforce in New Mexico, 2011-2022 ACHIEVEMENT 2011 Susana Martinez becomes governor. SB 120. Early Childhood Care and Education Act creates a State Early Learning Advisory Council to establish a comprehensive early childhood care and education system through an aligned continuum of state and private programs. NM Voices for Children first proposes tapping into Land Grant Permanent Fund to pay for early child care and education programs. ​​ 2014 NM Early Childhood Development Partnership (NMECDP) created w/ funding from W.K. Kellogg Foundation. NMECDP (now Growing Up NM) was a public-private partnership devoted to creating public awareness and political will for ECE programs in NM. NM Early Childhood Funders Group created. Thornburg Foundation & W.K. Kellogg Foundation support research by NMECDP for Child Care Accountability Act and sustainable funding sources for EC programs. SB 259. Early Childhood Care and Education Act introduced (not passed) was to develop legislative recommendations to improve accountability for EC education & care: defining goals of EC care & education system, planning to measure progress, and recommending licensure requirements for providers, strategies to improve workforce capacity, and administration of EC system. 2015 Thornburg Foundation supports Growing Up NM to analyze best practices in other states' EC governance models. To strengthen workforce, Thornburg Foundation supports research on workforce and establishment of apprenticeship & mentorship programs at higher ed institutes (NMSU, Western, UNM, CNM). Economist O'Donnell completes NM's first EC landscape analysis. HM 92. Requests a task force and report on cost & implementation of USHHS guidelines and recommendations for eligibility, level of subsidy, and parental copayments under federal Child Care & Development Fund program (NCSL). 2016 Thornburg Foundation supports mentorship & apprenticeship programs and social-emotional learning research at UNM to inform teacher preparation. 2017 With philanthropic support, Early Childhood Legislative Caucus established. Senator Michael Padilla (D) and Rep. Rebecca Dow (R) are first co-chairs. Thornburg Foundation supports workforce by expanding mentorship/apprenticeship programs and funding external evaluators to build evidence base for teacher preparation and curricular pathways. 40 SM 23. Requests Dept. of Children, Youth and Families to convene a task force to study how to increase communication, coordination, & collaboration among EC service providers (NMLEGIS). HB 394. Relating to kinship guardianship; amending caregiver's authorization affidavit to include preschool care (NMLEGIS). 2018 Business Plan for Early Childhood in NM completed w/ support from NM Early Childhood Funders Group. HB 193. Child Care Accountability Act enacted, paving way to improve accountability for child care. Annually, Children, Youth & Families Dept. will report on outcomes and use data to improve its quality rating improvement system and support it provides to home- and center-based child care providers. 2019 Michelle Lujan Grisham becomes governor. SB 22. Creates Early Childhood Education and Care Dept. (ECECD), transfers EC-related functions of state agencies & personnel, functions, money, appropriations, or property, and contractual obligations to new dept. (NCSL). 2019 Legislative Session saw historic funding gains for EC. Appropriations for EC programs from FY19-FY20 increased $45M, or 16%. This outpaced 11% overall increase to state's budget. Increases included $10M for child care and $3M for EC scholarships & wage supplements (Start Early, 2019). Governor Lujan Grisham revives the Children's Cabinet and elevates it to executive office. 2020 NM Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) launches. ECECD publishes NM Early Childhood Needs Assessment. HB 2. Funding for mentoring and scholarships expands dramatically. HB 83. Early Childhood Trust Fund established w/ initial appropriation of $300M. Wage supplement program expands. EC educators making less than $16 an hour are eligible to receive supplement. Governor announces measures to safeguard against COVID-19 and strengthen insurance protections for New Mexicans, including offering free treatment coverage to child care workers diagnosed w/ COVID-19, by adding uninsured child care workers and their immediate household members to state's high risk insurance pool. ECECD provides $700 one-time payments for full-time and $350 for part-time providers. ECECD also pays providers based on Feb. 2020 enrollment until June 30, 2020 and provides $200 incentive for every contract. ECECD waives parent copayments from March-June 2020. 2021 ECECD publishes NM Early Childhood Strategic Plan 2021-2024. HB 2. Increases funding by nearly $26M for Pre-K, HV, child care professional development and retention, early intervention. Most increases are funded through Early Childhood Trust Fund. Thornburg Foundation supports Fast Track workforce preparation and residency model to strengthen child care workforce. NM Early Childhood Funders Group and Hilton and Stranahan Foundations support development of Registered Apprenticeship Program at Santa Fe Community College. Administration enacts a one-time bilingual incentive ($1,500) for any EC educator who receives certification in TESOL or is tribal certified. 41 W.K. Kellogg Foundation provides funding to ECECD to address early educator shortage and preserve and enhance quality EC services for children by increasing number of bilingual EC educators through a degree and bilingual certification pathway. HJR 1. Joint resolution passes to put Land Grant Permanent Fund on Nov. 2022 ballot. Using ARP funds, NM raises Child Care Assistance income eligibility from 200% FPL to 350% FPL w/ phase-out at 400% FPL, meaning a modest increase in income won't mean losing access to assistance. Cutting-edge cost estimation model to set new child care subsidy rates paid to providers, increasing payments to providers in all settings. Increases allow businesses to better support true costs of providing high-quality child care and better able to staff their classrooms w/ credentialed & well-compensated professionals. ECECD invests $157M to stabilize NM child care Industry. Grants funded by ARPA to help NM child care businesses recruit & retain staff and recover from pandemic. ECECD began accepting applications for one-time $1,500 payments to child care workers in NM to support those who provided services through pandemic. Payments are funded by nearly $18M in pandemic relief funds awarded to state. An estimated 11,500 child care workers (administrators, teachers & support staff such as bus drivers and cooks) are eligible. 2022 SB 118. Bill was tabled in committee and did not become law. It would have removed "early" from "early childhood education" and broadened uses for Early Childhood Trust Fund. SB 140. NM Opportunity Scholarship Act makes college tuition-free for most New Mexicans and establishes most wide- reaching tuition-free scholarship program in U.S. SB 38. Clarifies ECECD's responsibilities for infants, toddlers, & children w/ developmental delays, authorizes ECECD to perform criminal history investigations for child care facility licensure. Using federal relief dollars to increase access to child care, state waives child care subsidy copays, making child care free for one year for nearly all residents. Administration opens $10M grant to build child care supply in NM. Purpose is to build high-quality child care supply, especially in child care deserts, where demand for care far outpaces capacity. W/ funding from ARPA Child Care Stabilization Administration Funds, grant will provide funding for licensed child care providers to expand existing programs and encourage statewide businesses to create or expand child care for employees. Grant is estimated to create 800 child care slots. To expand state's EC workforce, state launched a program offering stipends of up to $2,000 per semester for students enrolled in ECE programs at state colleges & universities. An estimated 3,600 students will receive this benefit, plus one- time payments of $1,500. In FY22, ECECD receives $20M from Early Childhood Trust Fund (ECTF). In FY23 ECECD receives $30M from ECTF. ECECD's budget request from the ECTF includes a tribal investment strategy for early learning. Competitive Pay for Professionals grant: Governor announces competitive pay for child care professionals, w/ grant application built into NM's licensing system. Providers must choose to take up opportunity to be reimbursed by state. All employees (cooks, janitors, administrators, teachers) can receive a $3-an-hour wage increase. 70% of voters support a constitutional amendment to devote an additional 1.25% of distribution of Land Grant Permanent Fund to help support EC care and education & at-risk students in NM. 42 Appendix 2. Timeline for Alabama Timeline of Achievements and Policy Wins related to Child Care and Child Care Workforce in Alabama, 2011-2022 2011 Robert Bentley is sworn in as 53rd Governor. During Bentley's tenure (2011-2017), investments in First Class Pre-K grow from $18.3M to $63.5M (Ross, 2019). Alabama Early Childhood Advisory Council conducts needs assessment to assess capacity and effectiveness of EC workforce. It shows a lack of alignment between 2- and 4-year institution programs leading EC students to lose credits, take duplicative courses, and lengthen their time to degree completion (Ross, 2019). Alabama's Ages & States Questionnaire (ASQ) promotes a reliable and valid developmental assessment on children at appropriate intervals. The Help Me Grow program, managed by Alabama Partnership for Children, has built out the program. Families can obtain free developmental screening for their children through pediatric and obstetric practices. Because centers are buying into the enhanced ASQ, Alabama's developmental screening numbers are now in 2023 higher than U.S. average. ASQ is a required component of First Class Pre-K. 2012 Pre-K Task Force is formed. As part of Pre-K expansion plan, Alabama School Readiness Alliance (ASRA) Pre-K Task Force includes 40 leaders from across the state in business, education, medical, legal, philanthropic, military, and child advocacy communities (Ross, 2019). The Pre-K Task Force releases its recommendation for a 10-year "business plan" for Pre-K expansion. Plan is informed by a cost study authored by National Institute for Early Education Research (Ross, 2019). SB 60. DHR implements new background check policy for child care providers, which requires all new employees and volunteers to undergo a criminal background check before they can work with children. HB 560. Increases funding for Children First Trust Fund. Alabama Child Care Management Agencies to fund child care programs using trained, qualified, and licensed child care facilities. These child care providers shall have specific emphasis on early intervention and nutrition services. 2014 DECE begins supporting DHR in implementing federally funded Early Head Start–Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grant by providing specialized coaches who meet standards set forth by Administration of Children and Families through updated Head Start Performance standards. DECE provides TA to 10% of classrooms included in EHS-CCP grant (Ross, 2019). 2015 Inaugural Early Educator Workforce Summit expands upon work of previous groups to define possible solutions and steps to build strong transfer pathways, or articulation agreements, for EC majors across Alabama (Ross, 2019). HB 233. Expands duties of DECE Secretary's duties to include development of a cohesive and comprehensive system of high-quality early learning and care and coordination with regulatory division for licensing of child care centers and with administration of U.S. child and adult care food programs at child care centers participating in Pre-K program. 2016 Executive Order 17. Creates Alabama Children's Cabinet to serve as an advisory body in formulating policies, encouraging innovation, and discussing issues critical to needs of Alabama's children. Cabinet will align systems of children's programs and services, creating a unified and cohesive delivery of services through a comprehensive approach. 43 2017 Kay Ivey is sworn in as the 54th Governor and establishes Pre-K as the pillar of state's education initiative. Governor Ivey's "Strong Start, Strong Finish" launches to support a comprehensive approach of collaboration that improves education from Pre-K to the workforce. Through Strong Start, Strong Finish, Alabama implements First Class Pre-K model as a bridge to develop and expand a birth to 8 continuum, creating an alignment spanning Pre-K to 3rd grade ("P-3") and prenatal to age 3 (Ross, 2019). Alabama Legislature approves an increase in budget to expand and increase number of classrooms for First Class Pre-K (Ross, 2019). 2018 DECE creates a new Office of Early Childhood Development & Professional Support to support specialized staff to provide TA to licensed child care programs including family child care. Moving in partnership with DHR, new initiative allows DECE to reach more children and more efficiently utilize federal grant dollars awarded to DHR. Purpose of new partnership between DECE and DHR is to provide support statewide to child care providers and families through 4 projects: Child Care Quality Coaching, Challenging Behavior Project, Family Engagement Project, and High Quality Professional Development (Ross, 2019). Alabama Legislature approves Governor's request to expand First Class Pre-K, increasing the FY19 program budget from $18.5M to $96M (Ross, 2019). HB 76. Child Care Safety Act. Providers that receive state or federal dollars must be licensed, which has tremendous impact on quality and safety. 2019 DECE expands upon existing Pre-K conference to launch Alabama Early Childhood Education Conference with over 3,000 participants, expanding scope of Alabama's practice and work beyond Pre-K to encompass 0-8 learning and care (Ross, 2019). Preschool Development Grant (PDG) allows partnership between DECE and Dept. of Education's Career Tech program to bring national Child Development Associate credentials to high school students, which will lead to high school graduates entering workforce with solid foundational knowledge and certification in EC development. Alabama Legislature approved Governor's recommended budget increase for DECE, including the largest ever single-year expansion of First Class Pre-K (Ross, 2020). DHR announces new child care subsidy rates for low-income families, which increases maximum subsidy amount and expands eligibility criteria. 2020 With CARES funding, DHR expands subsidy eligibility to hospital personnel and first responders to pay 100% of their child care costs at a licensed facility regardless of income and with no copay. More than 1,100 children benefited from program (Alliance for Early Success, 2020 and Child Care Assistance for Healthcare Community, 2020). $6M increase in Pre-K funding during 2020 legislative session, despite COVID-19 crisis and level funding across almost state agency budgets. This adds 55 classrooms to First Class Pre-K, bringing access level to 38% of four-year olds (Alliance for Early Success, 2020). With CARES funding, Governor's Office and DHR create sustaining funding for subsidy child care providers, a specific child care subsidy program for essential personnel. A 50% sustaining payment is made to every subsidy provider from April-July 2020, based on their pre-pandemic enrollment in subsidy, and parent copays are suspended (Alliance for Early Success, 2020). DHR is covering copays, which were eliminated for parents, during pandemic and now going forward. With CARES funding, DHR announces a $13M Temporary Assistance for Supporting Child Care grant program for private pay facilities based on their licensed capacity (Alliance for Early Success, 2020), leading to a better business model and greater stability among providers. Payment based on enrollment will continue after pandemic. 2021 DHR uses ARP funding to redesign state's Quality Stars QRIS program (Alliance for Early Success, 2021). 44 DHR uses federal dollars to substantially increase amount of money that agency pays for incentives for child care providers to participate in QRIS (Alliance for Early Success, 2021). With federal funds, DHR covers costs ($47) for criminal background checks for potential employees. This program will continue after federal funds are exhausted. Education Trust Fund budget (SB 189) includes a $24.4M increase for First Class Pre-K, offering sufficient space for 44% of Alabama's 4-year-olds and adding nearly 200 new Pre-K classrooms. Some 3,600 additional four-year-olds can enroll in First Class Pre-K (Alliance for Early Success, 2021). Apprenticeship programs for Early Childhood (0-5) Educators established in partnership with Troy University, Wallace Community College, and Alabama Office of Apprenticeship. In alignment with Governor's Strong Start, Strong Finish initiative, this apprenticeship will increase quality of care in EC settings, create opportunities to upskill incumbent workers, and articulate coursework seamlessly between community colleges and universities. Apprenticeship allows apprentices to complete stackable credentials, a Child Development Associate certification, an associate's degree, and a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, all while employed with a child care provider (Alabama Works, 2021). To address health, wellness, and obesity rates in the state, DHR upgrades standards around physical activity, screen time and daily nutrition for day care and nighttime centers (Alabama DHR, 2021). Alabama expands eligibility for state's child care subsidy program. Families living at or below 180% FPL are now eligible. Cutoff for continuing eligibility is 200% FPL. DHR consolidates Licensing and Health & Safety. This consolidation helps to get providers on board. It is "remarkable and that [DHR] can use its resources in the licensing program to help meet child care subsidy requirements." The change has improved child care quality via greater exchange of knowledge and skills related to health and safety among licensing staff, greater ability for licensing staff to educate providers, and improved professionalism of the child care workforce. To align child care licensing, QRIS, and school accountability systems, DHR forms formal partnership with DECE. Using federal Child Care Block Grant funds and renewal PDG B-5 funds, DECE begins to manage statewide QRIS program for early care and education programs, specifically child care centers. DHR makes child care licensing an automatic first star in Quality Stars. This means all licensed providers receive a much- needed funding boost from the program (ASRA, 2022). 2022 Alabama Legislature gives final approval to a historic $40M investment in quality Pre-K and child care. Investments are part of FY23 Education Trust Fund budget bill. This includes $17.8M to support quality child care. New investment goes to DHR to support an enhanced Alabama QRIS for child care. The program, administered in partnership with DECE, has been redesigned based on research, evaluation, and feedback from child care providers. Alabama Quality Stars offers coaching, support, and assessment to help child care programs improve and demonstrate quality along a one-to-five star rating system. Participating child care providers will receive payments of up to $80,000 a year, depending on their star level and licensed capacity (ASRA, 2022). To address expulsion of children with special needs based on their disabilities, DHR institutes a new Special Needs Child Care Subsidy. The program, a component of Childcare Enhancement with a Purpose, currently funds 500 child care slots. Child care centers receive $250 per week for each child with identified special needs, regardless of child's age and family income. CRRSA dollars currently funds program. CCDF dollars will fund program after CRRSA dollars are exhausted. For this program, DHR partners with United Cerebral Palsy Huntsville, a subject matter expert, that recruits and supports families and child care providers. 45 Appendix 3. Methodology To develop the blueprint, the authors reviewed and incorporated information from publicly available reports and proprietary reports authored by Luminosa Research and Frontera Strategy for the Alliance for Early Success, Impact Fellows Action Fund, and the Thornburg Foundation. We also reviewed and incorporated information from dashboards, traditional media, and social media. We interviewed people from various sectors who have expertise and knowledge of child care and child care workforce policy in New Mexico and Alabama. New Mexico We interviewed ten people who represent diverse sectors and time frames (2011-2022) during New Mexico's journey to provide child care as a public good. These interviews took place between September 12 and November 18, 2022. Name Position(s) Rob Black President & CEO, New Mexico Chamber of Commerce Consultant for Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy, chaired Children's Cabinet for Lt. Gov. Claire Dudley-Chavez Denish, served as Deputy Secretary under Secretary Groginsky CEO & Owner of The Toy Box, Early Learning Child Care Center and President, NM Child Care Angela Garcia and Education Association Cabinet Secretary, Early Childhood Education and Care Department under Elizabeth Groginsky Governor Lujan-Grisham Matthew Henderson Executive Director, OLÉ Monique Jacobson Secretary of the Children, Youth, and Families Department under Governor Martinez Kim Legant Government Relations Director, New Mexico Child Care & Education Association Mariana Padilla Director, Children's Cabinet Alejandra Rebolleda-Rea Deputy Secretary for Early Childhood under Governor Martinez Michael Weinberg Education Policy Officer, Thornburg Foundation Alabama To highlight Alabama's achievements in child care, we interviewed these five experts in early care and education in Alabama in April 2023. Name Position Barbara Cooper Former Secretary, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education Bernard Houston Child Care Services Administrator, Alabama Department of Human Resources Faye Nelson Deputy Commissioner, Family Resources, Alabama Department of Human Resources Gail Piggott Executive Director, Alabama Partnership for Children Jeana Ross Former Secretary, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education 46 Policy Areas Business Democracy 1225 Eye St NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005 American Congressional Exchange bipartisanpolicy.org Campus Free Expression 202 - 204 - 2400 Digital Democracy Elections Presidential Leadership Structural Democracy Early Childhood Economy Debt Limit Higher Education Immigration The Bipartisan Policy Center helps policymakers work across party Paid Family Leave lines to craft bipartisan solutions. 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