New Mexico wanted free childcare for all. This is what's worked and what hasn't

Catch up on what you missed with our Education newsletter, sent weekly.It's a hazy August morning, and Judyn Martinez is dropping her daughter off at Kids Campus, a sought-after childcare center in Santa Fe that is now free for any eligible family in New Mexico."It's an amazing school so far.She loves it.

I love it," Martinez said."Everyone's nice.

She's learning, growing already."A year ago this month, New Mexico became the first state to offer free childcare to every family, regardless of income.To qualify, families must be residents of New Mexico and adults in the house must be working, looking for work, in school or unable to work.Many parents, including Martinez, told NPR that it's been life-changing."I'm really grateful for universal childcare because I wouldn't have been able to send her," Martinez said.There's just one drawback for families: Right now, the state doesn't have the capacity to meet the demand, which has left some families waiting without childcare.

Martinez said it took her about a year and half to get off the waitlist for Kids Campus — a waitlist that, today, has nearly 700 children on it.When she first spoke with NPR in September, Lilia Doyle said her 2-year-old son was on six different waitlists."I'm 97th on a multi-hundred person waitlist.I'm 75th on something.

And some, I'm not even getting calls back," Doyle said.Doyle, a children's librarian with a background in early childhood education, lives in Santa Fe.She acknowledged that she's selective when it comes to childcare.

Still, she said, it should be easier."I have great belief in this program, but as it currently stands, I think the rollout needs a lot, a lot of help."According to the state, New Mexico has about 67,000 children 5 and under, and about 50% of them are enrolled in the universal childcare program.Some of the remaining families participate in other free public programs, like New Mexico PreK and Head Start.But many children aren't enrolled in any public, free childcar...