The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department

Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
Published: 04 April 2024 04 April 2024

 Expands Workforce Recruitment Efforts

Recruitment campaign offers career seekers personalized results and tailored information for a future in early childhoodSanta Fe, NM - Today the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) unveiled an expansion to Developing Futures, the department’s campaign to recruit talented professionals into the field of early childhood education and care. Now, New Mexicans can explore career opportunities in early childhood through a personalized career quiz and an expanded website featuring new professional profiles. The recruitment efforts also include a fun commercial featuring New Mexico PreK students and a game show theme. 

“Careers in early childhood provide opportunities to make a positive, and lasting impact in the lives of others,” said ECECD Cabinet Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky. “With this expansion of Developing Futures, we invite New Mexicans with an interest in early childhood to explore career paths and learn more about the professional and educational supports available through the state. Recruiting a diverse, credentialed, and well-compensated workforce is central to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s goal to provide a universal, high-quality early childhood education and care system that New Mexico families want and deserve.”

ECECD launched the Developing Futures campaign in August, 2022 in response to a statewide shortage of professionals in early care and education. Developing Futures, with the tagline “Build your future. Build the future,” highlights a varied set of career paths within early childhood education and care through the personal stories of a diverse group of New Mexicans currently serving in those roles. In addition to showcasing the fulfilling careers available in early childhood, ECECD highlights the financial, educational, and professional support available to New Mexicans in the early childhood profession.

Starting today, Developing Futures offers even more resources to job seekers including a personalized quiz with detailed results. The results provide information about their career of interest, including the newest scholarships, grants, and wage supplements that are available in New Mexico. Careers results include jobs in child care, home visiting, early intervention, and PreK. 

Building a diverse, credentialed, and well-compensated workforce is one of ECECD’s strategic priorities, and New Mexico now leads the nation in the innovative array workforce supports it has established, including:

Scholarships covering full tuition students seeking degrees and credentials in early childhood education and care

Wage Supplement Program for all early childhood professionals earning less than $16 an hour

A wage floor of $15/hr for entry level workers, and $20/hr for lead teachers built into child care subsidy rates

PreK pay parity for community-based PreK and Head Start teachers who have the same credentials and years of experience as school-based PreK teachers 

Infant and toddler teacher pay parity 

Bilingual incentive payments for Indigenous/bilingual educators

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