State of New Mexico expands child care assistance with new program

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The New Mexico Early Childhood Education & Care Department announced a partnership last week that connects parents with child care providers and helps providers focus more on taking care of kids.

The department created the "Elevate New Mexico Childcare" program as a partnership with education management company Wonderschool.

The program provides free advertising and bookkeeping assistance and 24-hour support for day care providers.

"They are especially the everything in a family child care home," Elizabeth Groginsky, Cabinet Secretary for Early Childhood Education, stated, "so whatever we can do to provide the tools to let them spend a majority of their day on the children is good."

Since it was announced, 50 day cares have signed up and the government hopes to help 750 more providers in the next three years.

A Bit of Wonder day care is one of the day cares that signed up for the program. Owner Cheryl Albertelli moved to Albuquerque to start her day care but the COVID-19 coronavirus global pandemic hit before she opened.

The day care is back in business but Albertelli is facing struggles.

"I spent the last year trying to get ready and some of my biggest concerns was books and advertising," said Albertelli, "and all those questions became very important as I was struggling when I got ready to open."

Now with the program’s assistance, Albertelli is focusing more on doing what she loves — taking care of kids.

"I got my license because I wanted to work with children and not do book work," Albertelli said, so Wonderschools is going to help me immensely there."

To learn more about the Elevate New Mexico Childcare program, visit here.