Public Policy Institute

NMAEYC offers a public policy institute (PPI) where NMAEYC members, staff and board members are trained in advocacy and the legislative process.

Currently this is offered once a year with the start of the Legislative Session – but our goal is to offer more PPI’s throughout the year and at different sites around the state of New Mexico.

The ARP Child Care Stabilization Program

As of December 31, 2022, the ARP Child Care Stabilization Program had served more than 220,000 child care providers, affecting as many as 9.6 million children. Providers are using awards to help with operational costs like wages and benefits, rent and utilities, program materials and supplies, and cleaning and sanitation. Stabilization grants are still being distributed to child care providers in some states and territories.

In the United States the following has been done:

• Assistance has been provided to more than 8 out of every 10 licensed child care centers across the country.
• In most states, funding has assisted child care providers in at least 98 percent of counties with a persistent poverty rate.
• The average child care center award size has been about $140,000 so far, and child care providers have most commonly used these funds to pay for personnel costs to keep programs staffed.
• The average award size for family child care providers has been about $23,000 so far, and providers have most commonly used these funds to assist with rent, utilities, and mortgage payments to help ensure that programs stay open.

Public Policy Roundtable 2022

The NMAEYC Public Policy Roundtable was virtually held on October 22, 2022. Discussed during the meeting were real-time updates on advocacy for Early Childhood Ediucation and care, in addition to training on how to advocate for the community.

This year’s featured speakers were:

• Jason Espinoza – KW Consulting
• Kathy DeSoto-Strickland – NMAEYC Board VP of Public Policy
• Lacey Daniell-Miller – Save the Children Action Network
• Alanna Purdy Montesinos – Legislative Assistant – Senator Ben Ray Lujan’s office
• Rio Romero-Jurado – Start Early