Quality Early Learning

Access to Quality Early Learning

A child’s brain develops at a rapid pace in the first five years of life, especially before they turn 3. Access to high-quality child care with an experienced and well-trained workforce can have a significant impact on this brain development, especially for at-risk children, narrowing school readiness gaps. At the same time, high-quality child care, collaborative education outreach, and other interagency collaboration promotes family economic security and bolsters the state’s economic output.

Number of Providers Per Quality Level
FY20 FY23 FY24
2 Star Licensed Homes and Centers 399 336 334
2 + Star Licensed Homes and Centers 89 140 137
3 Star FOCUS Licensed Homes and Centers 99 111 102
4 Star FOCUS Licensed Homes and Centers 58 53 66
5 Star FOCUS Licensed Homes and Centers 296 324 364
Total Quality Providers (3 Star Focus, 4 Star Focus and 5 Star Focus Only): 453 488 532
Total 941 964 1,003

Figure: The number of licensed and STAR-quality child care providers

NM Pre-K Funded Openings

 

 

Figure: Total funded openings across NM PreK, which is offered through a mix of community-based and school-based programs, funded and monitored by ECECD.

Data Source: NM ECECD, Annual Outcomes Report for FY2023