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Watch: Trump's answer on fixing child care crisis
At an Economic Club of New York forum, Donald Trump was asked what he would do about the child care crisis. Economists and activists later called his answer an "incoherent word salad" and "incomprehensible at best.'
SANTA FE, N.M. - New Mexico will become the first state in the country to begin offering free universal child care, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced on Monday.
New Mexico to offer universal child care
Big picture view:
According to Grisham, the announcement fulfills the promise made by the governor and the New Mexico Legislature when they created the Early Childhood Education and Care Department in 2019.
Since then, New Mexico has expanded access to no-cost child care for families with incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.
FILE: Child care classroom (Credit: Simone Lueck/Bloomberg via Getty Images
With Monday’s announcement, universal child care will be extended to every family in the state, regardless of income. This amounts to an average annual family savings of $12,000 per child.
Existing income eligibility limits will be removed, and family copayments will be waived.
The guaranteed no-cost universal child care will start on Nov. 1.
What they're saying:
"Child care is essential to family stability, workforce participation, and New Mexico’s future prosperity," Grisham said in a statement. "By investing in universal child care, we are giving families financial relief, supporting our economy, and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow and thrive."
New Mexico is investing in facility expansion and renovation, through a low‑interest loan fund, to handle increased demand.
Will other states implement universal child care?
Dig deeper:
While other states have expanded universal early childhood education in recent years, the program may offer a blueprint for other states.
According to a recent poll by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Research, the cost of child care in America is a significant issue, with most Americans favoring policies that would offer free or low-cost day care or require employers to provide paid family leave.
RELATED: Poll shows most Americans feel child care costs are a 'major problem'
About 75% of U.S. adults see child care costs as a "major problem" and about 50% said helping working families pay for child care should be a "high priority" for the federal government, the study revealed.
"Everyone kind of agrees that it’s a problem that we need to address," said Sarah Rittling, executive director of the First Five Years Fund advocacy organization. "By having this issue out there, it really is driving a lot of bipartisan conversations."
The Source: The information for this story was provided by a press release by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office published on Sept. 8, 2025. Previous FOX Local reporting contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.