10/21/2026
Universal access requires universal workforce investment.
New Mexico is learning what early childhood educators and advocates have been saying for years: You cannot expand access to early care and education without investing in the workforce and the providers delivering it.
Making child care more affordable for families is essential. But expanding eligibility doesn't magically create more teachers, more classrooms, or more available spaces.
And we cannot continue asking early childhood educators and providers to do more with less.
That's why deaeyc continues to advocate for sustained, ongoing public investment in Delaware's early care and education workforce and providers.
We don't need more initiatives. We don't need constantly changing priorities. And we certainly don't need more unfunded mandates.
We need to invest in the people and programs already doing the work.
Quality doesn't come from another checklist, another requirement, or another short-term initiative. It comes from well-supported educators, stable programs, and the resources to meet the needs of children and families.
New Mexico's experience isn't a reason to stop pursuing universal child care.
It's a reminder that access without capacity isn't truly access.
