UNM Children’s Campus gets funding for long-delayed childcare upgrades

The state awarded $4.71 million for upgrades at UNM Children’s Campus for Early Care and Education. The project is meant to add 52 child care slots, lifting capacity from 271 children to 323.

The New Mexico Higher Education Department announced the awards on June 18, 2026, as part of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s plan to build a universal child care system. The money was spread across five campuses, including San Juan College, New Mexico State University, Santa Fe Community College and Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell, after 25 proposals from 18 higher education institutions sought about $119.8 million.

The Children’s Campus has pursued a proposed expansion estimated at about $39 million for years, and it has a waiting list of roughly 2,400 children, according to Daniela Baca, director of the campus program. Baca called the grant the first real opportunity the center has had to pursue capital funding of this kind. The campus serves student, staff and faculty parents, and the program is supported by student fees along with state and federal grants.

The New Mexico Higher Education Department projects the five projects could collectively expand child care for more than 1,260 children statewide, with many of the sites located in child care deserts. Bernalillo County is one of the counties with the most significant shortages, and a state child care gap analysis found New Mexico had a shortfall of 13,942 child care slots in 2024.

The state became the first in the nation to offer universal child care on Nov. 1, 2025, and lawmakers codified that program in 2026. The state estimates average savings could reach $12,000 per child each year.

The Children’s Campus is a nationally recognized, five-star licensed facility accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.