Walt Rubel Commentary: Early education a wise investment

It used to be big news when the annual national rankings on childhood wellbeing were released each year, showing New Mexico last in the nation. But, as an anguished fan of the woeful Colorado Rockies, I’m all too aware that when you come in last year after year, people will eventually just stop paying attention.

The Kids Count Data Book measures 16 indicators in four basic areas - family and community; health; the economy; and education. New Mexico was 50th in both education and family and community; 49th in economic wellbeing and 46th in health. And, it’s not encouraging that our highest-ranking category is facing devastating cuts in federal spending.

All of this comes at a time when state budgets are at historic levels. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has taken some of that money to provide a free college education for state residents, which I think is a mistake.

Last week, she announced that the state will also provide free child care to all state residents, which seems like a much wiser use of those funds. Given the choice between investing in the first five years of a child’s life, or the years between ages 18 and 22, it seems like an easy decision.

The state created the Early Childhood Education and Care Department in 2019 to expand childcare options. It had been providing no-cost child care to families at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Now, there will be no income restrictions.

There’s a part of me that asks why I should help pay to care for the children of Harvey Yates. But, making something universally available to everyone changes the dynamic. It becomes another government service that people from all income levels come to rely on.  

Of course, offering to pay for care does no good if you live in a community without enough providers. And so, the state is investing on that end as well. They have established a new $12.7 million fund to provide low-interest loans for construction, expansion and renovation of childcare centers, with an additional $20 million request for the upcoming fiscal year.

They are also partnering with school districts and other employers to expand child care options for their workers. And, they have launched a new campaign to recruit new providers and increase their reimbursement rates.

Opponents argue that the government is infringing on the role of parents. And I agree that, ideally, parents are the best first teachers for their children. But not all parents are suited for that role. A successful early childhood program works to assist and support parents and grandparents, not replace them.

And, even if they do have the education and temperament needed to work with their children each day, many parents simply don’t have the time.

I grew up during an era when dads went to work each morning and moms stayed home to care for the kids. By the 1970s that was no longer the norm. Now, there are more women in the workforce (56.9 percent) than men.

The research on this is just undeniable. Kids enrolled in early childhood programs have better results in both the short term and the long term.

A study by MIT looked at the Boston preschool program, which had a lottery system to get in. Kids who completed the program had higher graduation rates and were more likely to enter college, and those who didn’t were more likely to have school suspensions or juvenile arrests.

Most parents understand those advantages, but too many are unable to pay for child care. The academic disadvantages for their children start before their first day of school. This will give them a fair chance.


Walter Rubel can be reached at [email protected]

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