The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) has proposed a series of rule changes with the goal of making it easier for families to access child care assistance. You can help by submitting comments to ECECD supporting the changes.
The proposed regulations make child care more accessible and affordable by:
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Removing the requirement that custodial parents file for child support with the New Mexico Human Services Department to receive a child care subsidy;
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Making it easier to qualify by not counting certain income;
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Eliminating the requirement of applying in-person at a child care office;
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Granting three months of benefits to families who are searching for work (Currently, families have to be employed or in school to qualify);
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Extending eligibility to families pursuing education in graduate, post-graduate, and online education programs;
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Expanding access to families with a member with special needs or a disability.
Tell the ECECD that you support these positive changes to the Child Care Assistance program.
1. Speak out at the public hearing.
Give public comment on Monday, January 6, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. The hearing will take place via internet and telephone due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. To access the hearing by telephone call: 1-346-248-7799 and enter access code 9743902 4249. To access the hearing via the internet go to https://zoom.us/j/
2. Submit written public comments.
Submit written public comments no later than January 6, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. by email to ECECD-ECS-PublicComment@
3. What you might include in your written or oral comments:
a) Say you support the proposed regulations: “I support the proposed rules, because they will expand access to child care assistance and increase affordability of the program.”
b) Explain why child care assistance is important to you or your community.
c) Explain how the proposed regulations will impact you or your community.
You can find the full text of the proposed rules here.