Future Forward Women Releases New Policy Brief on New Mexico’s Universal Child Care Program, Gears Up to Support State Leaders Seeking to Replicate the Model

New Mexico is showing what economists and families have always known — when child care is regarded as essential infrastructure, everyone benefits,” said C. Nicole Mason, PhD, President & CEO of Future Forward Women. “This is what good governance looks like: practical, equitable, and economically sound. Families save money, women remain in the workforce, and communities grow stronger.”

“New Mexico proves what’s possible when women lead,” said Erin Vilardi, CEO of Vote Run Lead. “When women hold power, policies like universal child care move from aspiration to action — and the economy works better for everyone.”

Washington, D.C. — Future Forward Women (FFW) today released a new policy brief detailing how New Mexico became the first state in the nation to offer universal, no-cost child care for all families — and announced new efforts to train and support state elected officials interested in replicating the model nationwide.

The report, “New Mexico Launches Universal Child Care,” highlights the policy design, financing mechanisms, and measurable economic benefits of the initiative. Funded through constitutionally protected early-childhood trust funds — not new taxes — the program provides free child care for every family with a child under 13, saving families an average of $12,000 per child each year and generating nearly $900 million in statewide economic activity annually.

Earlier expansions of child care access in New Mexico lifted approximately 120,000 residents above the supplemental poverty line between 2021 and 2024. The policy’s design — combining sustainable funding, higher provider wages, and streamlined eligibility — is already gaining recognition as a national model for equitable economic growth and women’s workforce participation.

To help other states follow New Mexico’s lead, Future Forward Women will launch the State Leaders Learning Series in early 2026 as part of its Legislative Exchange and Innovation Lab. The series will equip governors, legislators, and state agencies with the tools, training, and cross-state collaboration needed to design and advance universal child care and other family-centered economic policies. Grounded in evidence-based policy design and practical governance, the initiative aims to help states translate bold ideas into effective, equitable solutions.

“The question is no longer whether universal child care works — it does,” said C. Nicole Mason, PhD, President & CEO of Future Forward Women. “The challenge now is how quickly states can adapt the model. When we center families and design policy around real needs, we strengthen economies, expand opportunity, and move the country forward.

The full brief is available here or at https://futureforwardwomen.org

About Future Forward Women

Future Forward Women partners with elected officials, high-impact organizations, catalytic leaders, and everyday citizens to grow women’s leadership and advance women- and family-centered policies—moving them from vision to scale through evidence-based research, design-driven innovation, and model legislation adopted across the states.

About Vote Run Lead

Vote Run Lead trains women to run for office and win, reaching over 55,000 women across America. Our alumni serve on city councils, county boards, state houses, supreme courts, and Congress. We unleash the political power of women as voters, candidates, and leaders to create and sustain an equitable democracy.

Media Contact:

Katie Waldron, Publicist
media@futureforwardwomen.org | 631-916-5047