New Mexico Equips Child Care Providers with Powerful Free Business Platform

CONTACT
Micah McCoy
Communications Director

Email: micah.mccoy@state.nm.us
Mobile: 505-629-9675
1120 Paseo De Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
http://nmececd.org

New Mexico Equips Child Care Providers with Powerful Free
Business Platform

Early Childhood Education and Care Department Partners with Wonderschool to Expand
Access to Quality Child Care and Streamline Programs Statewide

Santa Fe, NM – The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) today announced
it is partnering with Wonderschool, an innovative online platform that connects families to a diverse set of
child care options and supports the providers, to launch a program to expand and streamline child care
services across the state.

The new program, called “Elevate New Mexico Child Care,” will utilize the Wonderschool platform to provide a marketplace, platform, and community for providers to successfully run their preschool, daycare, or in-home child care program.

“In many parts of our state, home based providers and smaller centers are a vital source of early care and
education for the community,” said ECECD Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky. “With the launch of Elevate New
Mexico Child Care, we aim to equip these essential child care businesses with the tools they need to streamline their operations, grow their businesses, and better meet the needs of the families they serve.”

This program will support up to 750 providers across the state over the next 3 years, with an emphasis on
smaller programs that typically don’t have the staff or extra support needed to grow their business. The
Wonderschool partnership will help NM ECECD focus on supporting small businesses that were severely
impacted by the pandemic. Additionally, Wonderschool will help to stabilize childcare in the state while
building programs in areas where there is a shortage of providers. By increasing access to easy-to-use
technology that reinforces best business practices, the sustainability of child care programs will improve and access to quality care will increase statewide.

Providers that participate in Elevate New Mexico Child Care will have access to Wonderschool’s complete suite of tools and resources to enable them to:

• Establish an online presence to better connect with families;
• Better communicate with families;
• Engage in a community of practice and collaborate with their peers; and
• Access business and financial support to help them save time, gain insights and ensure sustainability

To participate in Elevate New Mexico Child Care, providers simply need to text “Elevate” to 505-391-3176.

As part of the new partnership, Wonderschool will be releasing a new tool called “Childcare Finder,” a program designed to help families find childcare providers who align with their needs, budget, and location. The announcement comes on the heels of a major expansion of child care assistance in New Mexico:
https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2021/07/01/n-m-dramatically-expands-child-care-assistance/

About Wonderschool

Wonderschool is building the largest network of high-quality early education programs. Wonderschool offers a diversity of options and combines engaged teachers and thoughtful education with the warmth of a family
program while maintaining standards that go above and beyond state requirements. By providing dedicated
support, technology, training, mentorship, and community, Wonderschool lets teachers focus on what they do best— teaching—and allows them to earn a sustainable living in the field they love. Named one of Fast
Company’s Most Innovative Companies in Education in 2019, Wonderschool is based in San Francisco and
venture-backed by Andreessen Horowitz, First Round, Omidyar, Unusual Ventures, and Gary Community
Investments, among others. Learn more at Elevate New Mexico Child Care | Early Childhood Education & Care Department (nmececd.org).