MEDIA STATEMENT
October 28, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Sharon Kayne, Communications Director, NM Voices for Children, 505-244-9505 

ALBUQUERQUE—Governor Martinez announced today that she will be restoring a portion of funding to early childhood programs that had previously been cut during the state’s budget deficit. Approximately 1,300 children will come off of the waiting list for child care assistance with this new funding (there are currently more than 6,000 children on the child care assistance waiting list). Governor Martinez also announced that the 4 percent cut that was imposed on child care providers last year will end on January 1, 2012.

Bill Jordan, Policy Director of New Mexico Voices for Children, praised the news saying, “This is a great step in the right direction. We applaud the governor’s action to provide additional funding for child care assistance. With thousands of low-income families on a waiting list for help in paying for child care, and dozens of child care centers closing their doors in the last year, this is very welcome news. Child care is a vital support for working parents, who have been struggling to make ends meet in this difficult economy. We are grateful to Secretary Deines and the governor for this action, and look forward to working with the governor’s administration and the legislature to help New Mexico’s youngest children and their parents get access to the high quality early education they need.”

###

New Mexico Voices for Children is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advocating for policies to improve the health and well-being of New Mexico’s children, families and communities.
2340 Alamo SE, Suite 120, Albuquerque, NM 87106-3523; 505-244-9505 (p); www.nmvoices.org