That was before New Mexico in May became the first state to offer free child care to most of its residents.
Nationwide, the average cost of child care for families outpaced the rate of inflation in 2021, according to analysis from Child Care Aware of America.
A low-income family should have to spend only 7% of its income on child care, per a federal benchmark based on an average of census data.
In Fout’s case, child care costs were draining 30% of her monthly income.
The state co-pay waiver saves Fout $370 a month on child care costs – a sum that can spell real relief when bills come due.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announces an increase in child care subsidies in 2021 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
New Mexico is already seeing a measurable impact from the state’s child care policies, she told CNN. »
