New Mexico’s Childcare Assistance program through the Children Youth and Families Department gives families access to childcare while they work or attend school. However, only a third of eligible children access the program because of high copays and other problems. Childcare assistance helps parents improve their income and earning potential with the peace of mind that their children are in a safe environment.  

We need your help. Speak out at a public hearing August 30 and submit public comments asking CYFD to make childcare assistance accessible for New Mexico’s hard working families! 

Support positive changes: In late July, CYFD issued proposed regulations that change childcare eligibility requirements. Some of the changes were positive and resulted from our collective advocacy efforts earlier this year—including maintaining eligibility at 200% of the Federal Poverty Level for families entering the program and increasing eligibility to 250% of FPL for families exiting the program. CYFD also capped the fees for families’ enrollment and registration at $60 per year. 

Tell CYFD to also make critical changes: Families should only be required to pay an affordable share of childcare costs.

• Families with incomes below the poverty line should not have copays. Families should not have to choose between paying for childcare or other basic necessities like food and clothing. Currently, CYFD charges copayments to families with incomes at or above 25% of FPL. This causes participation to drop by about half for some of the lowest income families in the state due to the high financial burden of the copayments. New Mexico should eliminate copayments for families living below the poverty line to ensure that families can access childcare and meet basic needs. 
• Copays should be capped so they are affordable. Everyone should have access to affordable child care so they can pursue career and educational opportunities. CYFD has not set a cap on copayments and parents often pay more than 10% to 15% of their income towards child care costs, even when they are getting assistance. Federal guidance recommends that copayments be no higher than 7% of a family’s income to be affordable. Parents who cannot afford the copayment often have to reduce their work hours or seek alternative and often unreliable care. 

Childcare assistance needs to be more accessible to grandparents raising their grandchildren. If grandparents enroll grandchildren in a cash assistance program, the child automatically receives both cash and childcare assistance without any consideration of the grandparents’ income. However, many grandparents, especially those living on fixed incomes, who don’t know about or need cash assistance programs still need childcare assistance. The department should align its rules to make childcare assistance available to all grandparents raising grandchildren.

Childcare regulations should provide complete information about eligibility requirements. CYFD’s proposed regulations do not explain how the department counts income to determine eligibility or exactly what paperwork is required. Families have a right to know how CYFD makes these decisions. To be fair and effective, the program must be transparent and eligibility information must be accessible. 

Join the fight to make childcare assistance more affordable to New Mexico’s families!

Speak out at the public hearing Friday, August 30, at 10:00 a.m. in Apodaca Hall, 1120 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87502.

Submit written public comments no later than August 30, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. by email to CYFD-ECS-PublicComment@state.nm.u with the subject line “8.15.2 NMAC Public Comment,” or via first class mail or hand delivered to Kimberly Brown, Child Care Services Bureau, Children, Youth and Families Department, P.O. Drawer 5160, Santa Fe, NM 87502-5160.  

You can find the full proposed changes at: 

http://164.64.110.134/nmac/nmregister/xxx/CYFDearly_Notice_xxx14.html