Mamdani is promising free childcare in NYC. Here’s how New Mexico did it — and gave caregivers a raise in the process.

**New York City’s Next Mayor Eyes Universal Childcare—New Mexico Sets the Model**

New York City’s next mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has promised to deliver free childcare to New Yorkers—a bold vision that could transform families’ lives. As the city considers the future of childcare, New Mexico may be writing the blueprint for success.

**New Mexico’s Universal Childcare Policy**

Beginning November 1, New Mexico implemented an innovative policy making universal childcare access a reality across the state. By eliminating income limits and copays for childcare, the state opened doors for parents from all backgrounds. Childcare workers are also slated for a raise, further strengthening the industry. This model could offer valuable lessons to New York City.

**Expanding Access in New York**

Mamdani has proposed expanding childcare in the city, emphasizing the need to create more slots for children aged six weeks to five years old. Even some of the city’s business leaders—typically opposed to his affordability initiatives—support universal childcare.

The urgency is clear: childcare costs have soared, outpacing inflation and leaving families to grapple with expensive solutions and navigating “day care deserts.” Previously, New Mexican parents who didn’t qualify for full subsidies were paying an average of $12,000 annually per child.

The state sees this policy as an opportunity to boost the economy by putting money back into parents’ pockets. “That’s huge to a family’s budget,” said Julie Kashen, senior fellow and director for women’s economic justice at The Century Foundation, a progressive, nonpartisan think tank. “That makes a really big difference in what else they can afford, what they can save for the future, how they can get out of debt.”

Reliable childcare also allows parents to work with peace of mind. Without it, many call out of work when their children are sick or have a day off school. For working parents, “childcare is the backbone of our economy,” Kashen added.

**Funding Universal Childcare: New Mexico’s Advantage**

One of Mamdani’s toughest challenges—and a challenge for any city or state looking to expand childcare—is funding. His proposed solution: raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and corporations.

New Mexico enjoys a unique advantage: natural resources. As the second-largest crude oil producer in the country, tax revenue from fracking brought in over $11 billion last year. This revenue sustains the state’s over $30 billion permanent fund for childcare, currently valued at $10 billion and projected to reach $12.6 billion.

In New York City, Mamdani’s campaign estimates the cost of a similar universal childcare program at around $6 billion, which would expand the city’s existing free preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.

**Investing in the Childcare Workforce**

To strengthen the childcare workforce, New Mexico raised its minimum wage for childcare workers to $18 per hour—$6 above the state minimum wage. This increase could help attract new workers, particularly since median wages for childcare workers are lower than 97% of other jobs nationwide.

“They get paid less than dishwashers and dog walkers,” said Hailey Gibbs, associate director for early childhood policy at the Center for American Progress. She noted that compensation, healthcare, and retirement benefits are crucial to attracting and retaining talent in the industry.

Current childcare workers are passionate about their jobs and communities, but improved pay could offer them economic stability and discourage them from seeking work elsewhere. “They don’t do it for the money because there isn’t money,” Gibbs said. “They do it because they’re passionate about it, because they care deeply about their communities and the families that they work with.”

In the New York City metropolitan area, median wages for day care workers are $18.09 per hour—far below the metro’s $28.55 median wage. According to a report from comptroller Brad Lander, these workers have the lowest personal income among all care workers in the city.

Mamdani has pledged to match childcare workers’ pay with the starting salaries of NYC school teachers, around $70,000 for new employees.

**A Blueprint for New York’s Families**

As New York City considers universal childcare, New Mexico’s approach shows how innovative policies—and dedicated funding—can transform access and strengthen economic opportunity for families and workers alike. Universal childcare has the potential to become the backbone of the city’s future, benefiting everyone from parents to business leaders to the early childhood educators who make the system thrive.
https://www.businessinsider.com/zohran-mamdani-universal-childcare-new-mexico-2025-11

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