STUDENT PARENT GUIDE
Child Care
Child care is important as you plan for where your children will be when you are attending school and/or working.
STUDENT PARENT GUIDE
Child Care
Child care is important as you plan for where your children will be when you are attending school and/or working.
Child care
Supporting Together
Child care is important as you plan for where your children will be when you are attending school and/or working.
Making sure your kids have positive experiences with quality early education will have a big impact on their lives and yours. There are many options for child care and most people use different types of care to cover all of the time needed.
Things to consider:
- Location
- Hours
- Availability
- Cost
- Type of Care
Supporting Together
Child care is important as you plan for where your children will be when you are attending school and/or working.
Making sure your kids have positive experiences with quality early education will have a big impact on their lives and yours. There are many options for child care and most people use different types of care to cover all of the time needed.
Things to consider:
- Location
- Hours
- Availability
- Cost
- Type of Care
Steps to Finding Child Care
Step 1
Choose the Child Care Setting
This chart covers different types of child care:
| Child Care | What is it? | What age? | How can I find it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Care Center NM Pre-K |
A state licensed or tribal child care program in the community caring for children in one or more classrooms. Some child care centers also receive state grants to provide the free NM Pre-K program. | Depends on the facility. | New Mexico Child Care Finder / New Mexico Pre-K |
| Early Head Start | An early childhood program for families with incomes under a certain level. | 0-2 | Head Start Center Locator |
| Head Start | An early childhood program for families with incomes under a certain level. | 3-5 | Head Start Center Locator |
| Public Pre-K | A pre-K program at a public school. | 4 | Check with your school district. |
| Licensed or Registered Home | Child care businesses in the child care provider’s home that are registered by the state, which means the state has inspected them to make sure they are following certain safety rules and limits on the number of children in care. | Depends on the facility. | New Mexico Child Care Finder |
| Family, Friends or Neighbors | Make arrangements with family members, friends, or others in your community to take care of your children. If they would like to get paid for caring for your children in their home, they can also become a registered home site with the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department to receive child care assistance payments. | Depends on the facility. | Talk to your family, friends or neighbors. |
| On-Campus Child Care | Your college or university may have an on-campus child care center for full-time or short-term or drop-in care while you are in class. Many colleges and universities have on-campus child care with priority enrollment for students. There are typically waitlists, so sign up ASAP. Most programs accept child care assistance (see below) and have free state Pre-K programs for student parents. | Depends on the facility. | Look on your college’s website or talk to someone at the student resource center. |
| After School Programs | Your school district, city, or community organizations like the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and others may offer free or low-cost afterschool programs. Some may be located at the school or offer school pickup, which means the program will pick up your child from school and take them to the program. | 5+ | Look on your city’s and school district’s websites or go directly to your city’s YMCA or Boys and Girls Club. |
This chart covers different types of childcare:
| Child Care Center & NM Pre-K | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A state licensed or tribal child care program in the community caring for children in one or more classrooms. Some child care centers also receive state grants to provide the free NM Pre-K program. |
| What age? | Depends on the facility. |
| How can I find it? | New Mexico Child Care Finder / New Mexico Pre-K |
| Early Head Start | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | An early childhood program for families with incomes under a certain level. |
| What age? | 0-2 |
| How can I find it? | Head Start Center Locator |
| Head Start | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | An early childhood program for families with incomes under a certain level. |
| What age? | 3-5 |
| How can I find it? | Head Start Center Locator |
| Public Pre-K | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A pre-K program at a public school. |
| What age? | 4 |
| How can I find it? | Check with your school district. |
| Licensed or Registered Home | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Childcare businesses in the child care provider’s home that are registered by the state, which means the state has inspected them to make sure they are following certain safety rules and limits on the number of children in care. |
| What age? | Depends on the facility. |
| How can I find it? | New Mexico Child Care Finder |
| Family, Friends, or Neighbors | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Make arrangements with family members, friends, or others in your community to take care of your children. If they would like to get paid for caring for your children in their home, they can also become a registered home site with the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department to receive child care assistance payments. |
| What age? | Depends on the facility. |
| How can I find it? | Talk to your family, friends, or neighbors. |
| On-Campus Child Care | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Your college or university may have an on-campus childcare center for full-time, short-term, or drop-in care while you are in class. Many colleges and universities have on-campus childcare with priority enrollment for students. There are typically waitlists, so sign up ASAP. Most programs accept child care assistance (see below) and have free state Pre-K programs for student parents. |
| What age? | Depends on the facility. |
| How can I find it? | Look on your college’s website or talk to someone at the student resource center. |
| After School Programs | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Your school district, city, or community organizations like the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and others may offer free or low-cost afterschool programs. Some may be located at the school or offer school pickup, which means the program will pick up your child from school and take them to the program. |
| What age? | 5+ |
| How can I find it? | Look on your city’s and school district’s websites or go directly to your city’s YMCA or Boys and Girls Club. |
Step 2
Options to Pay for Child Care
The cost of child care may seem high, but there are several different options to cover part or all of the cost of child care, depending on the setting you choose.
| Child Care Tuition Support Program | What is it? | Am I eligible, and what are the requirements? | What age? | How can I find it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico Child Care Assistance (CCA) | A state program to help families pay for child care. It covers the full cost of care for licensed centers and registered and licensed homes that accept it. | Most families in New Mexico are eligible based on income and activities such as attending school or work. Other requirements: You must fill out an application. The child care provider you select must accept CCA as payment. Children receiving child care assistance need to have a social security number. Parents do not. |
Up to age 12 | Apply online or at an ECECD Office: New Mexico Child Care Assistance Because child care assistance is a contract between the state and a child care provider, you should wait until you have a confirmed spot at a child care provider before applying to NM Child Care Assistance, but it’s a good idea to review the child care assistance application in advance to make sure you have all the information and documents you’ll need gathered up. |
| Head Start/Early Head Start | A federally funded program for families with income under a certain level. | Your family’s income must be under a certain level. | 0-5 | How to Apply for Head Start |
| Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) | A federal grant that gives money to colleges to help students pay for child care. | Your family’s income must be under a certain level and your college must have a CCAMPIS grant. | n/a | Check with your college or university child care center and/or student services office to see if they have CCAMPIS funding. |
| NM PreK & Public Pre-K | PreK programs at public schools or licensed centers. | All families are eligible if you are in the school district or if your child attends a licensed center that receives a NM PreK grant. These programs are covered by state funding for a certain number of hours. There may be an additional cost for before care and aftercare, but that tuition can be covered for Child Care Assistance for families who qualify. | 3-4 | Check with your school district or ask child care centers in which you are interested if they have free PreK. |
The cost of child care may seem high, but there are several different options to cover part or all of the cost of child care, depending on the setting you choose.
| New Mexico Child Care Assistance (CCA) | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A state program to help families pay for child care. It covers the full cost of care for licensed centers and registered and licensed homes that accept it. |
| Am I eligible, and what are the requirements? | Most families in New Mexico are eligible based on income and activities such as attending school or work. Other requirements: You must fill out an application. The child care provider you select must accept CCA as payment. Children receiving child care assistance need to have a social security number. Parents do not. |
| What age? | Up to age 12 |
| How can I find it? | Apply online or at an ECECD Office: New Mexico Child Care Assistance Because child care assistance is a contract between the state and a child care provider, you should wait until you have a confirmed spot at a child care provider before applying to NM Child Care Assistance, but it’s a good idea to review the child care assistance application in advance to make sure you have all the information and documents you’ll need gathered up. |
| Head Start/Early Head Start | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A federally funded program for families with income under a certain level. |
| Am I eligible? | Your family’s income must be under a certain level. |
| What age? | 0-5 |
| How can I find it? | How to Apply for Head Start |
| Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A federal grant that gives money to colleges to help students pay for child care. |
| Am I eligible? | Your family’s income must be under a certain level and your college must have a CCAMPIS grant. |
| What age? | n/a |
| How can I find it? | Check with your college or university child care center and/or student services office to see if they have CCAMPIS funding. |
| NM PreK & Public Pre-K | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | PreK programs at public schools or licensed centers |
| Am I eligible? | All families are eligible if you are in the school district or if your child attends a licensed center that receives a NM PreK grant. These programs are covered by state funding for a certain number of hours. There may be an additional cost for before care and aftercare, but that tuition can be covered for Child Care Assistance for families who qualify. |
| What age? | 3-4 |
| How can I find it? | Check with your school district or ask child care centers in which you are interested if they have free PreK. |
Student Story
“Being a stay-at-home mother of four children going to college was always a financial worry for me. My 3 older children are all in public school, but I had no child care for my 2-year-old, and knowing how expensive child care is, I did not think I could afford it. I then later found out that as a full-time student or a part-time student with a part time job I could qualify for child care assistance through ECECD. After finding a spot for my son we qualified for free child care. Tuition was a worry for me because as a DACA recipient I did not qualify for Pell grant, but I was able to qualify for Opportunity Scholarship which covered my tuition. The child care funding and the Opportunity Scholarship made it possible for me to attend college and make a commitment to furthering my education, not only for me but for my children as well.”
Step 3
Choose a Quality Child Care Program
After planning for the location, time, and type of care you need, start doing research on the different programs. A great place to start is the New Mexico Child Care Finder. It is also a good idea to ask other parents and trusted people in your community about their recommendations and experiences.
There are different philosophies of early childhood education to consider:
- Play-based
- Montessori
- Reggio-inspired
- Bilingual
- And many others!
Make sure to ask programs questions about:
- Their philosophy of education
- The curriculum they use
- How they approach discipline and challenging behaviors in the classroom
- Staff education and experience
- Ratio of staff to children in each age group
- Daily schedule
- Tuition costs and fees
-
- Do they accept Child Care Assistance contracts?
- Do they have free state Early PreK and PreK?
Child Care Aware of America has different checklists by program type and example questions to ask.
Step 4
Contact Child Care Providers
Go to the website, send an email, or call the early childhood program to find out about availability. Many programs have waitlists, so make sure to put your name on the waitlist at multiple early childhood programs.
If you are put on a waitlist, check your voicemail and email regularly and respond right away when the program contacts you.
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Succeeding in College
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Achieving Together
Navigating Your College Path
Preparing for College
Discover how to navigate the big decision of going back to school with resources tailored for student parents like you.
Starting College
Get the guidance you need to balance family, work, and education, with tools that help you leverage campus resources and community support.
Succeeding in College
Find your stride with ongoing support designed to keep you moving forward, even when challenges arise.
Graduating College
Celebrate your achievements and plan for the future with resources that highlight next steps after graduation.