What is Child Care Resource and Referral?

NewMexicoKids Resource & Referral is a Child Care Resource and Referral organization that maintains a statewide database of child care providers who are licensed or registered by recognized regulatory agencies in the state of New Mexico. This database is used to provide courtesy referrals at no cost to any family, provider, or community member who requests.

Child care providers and their information appear on this list on a voluntary basis. Inclusion in the referral database maintained by NewMexicoKids Resource & Referral is not a recommendation or an endorsement of any child care provider. Information is used to help refer families to providers that might meet the needs of their children in order to assist the family to make an informed choice.

NewMexicoKids also maintains a statewide database of other family supports, including Home Visiting Programs, organizations providing basic needs such as food or shelter, financial assistance opportunities, and much more.

How can I choose quality child care?

1. Start Early: Finding the right child care option takes time, so families must start their child search as far in advance as possible.
2. Consider Quality: Read the “Parent’s Guide to Selecting Quality Child Care” to determine what to consider while searching for child care. Consider programs currently participating in New Mexico’s Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS) – FOCUS. These programs are on their way to providing higher quality care for your child. 5-Star is the highest recognized quality of care.
3. Make Contact: Families can search for child care or call 1-800-691-9067 (between 9am and 4pm, Monday through Friday) to request a customized child care search.
4. Visit, ask questions, and make a choice: Families should visit the child care options they are considering and ask questions pertaining to issues that are important to them. Make more than one visit to the program before making a final decision. Review ECECD inspection reports on licensed programs to help you make the best decision for your family. Please read the Family Letter and utilize this Selecting Child Care Checklist to help with decisions.

What are the New Mexico Child Care Regulations pertaining to child care centers, early care and education programs, licensed homes, registered homes, and before/after school care?

New Mexico has specific requirements that programs need to comply with in order to become a New Mexico CYFD state licensed or registered child care provider. Child care licensing in New Mexico is administered by CYFD Child Care Services Bureau. The state regulations governing getting and maintaining licensing or registration, including background check requirements, ratio limits, environment, etc. can be found here. For questions, concerns, or to file a complaint, please contact your nearest CYFD Child Care Licensing Office.

Where can I find Child Care programs in my area?

We offer a comprehensive child care, early education, and family services portal for caregivers and families to find quality programs, child care, early education, and family services in their area. Please visit search.newmexicokids.org to search your area, or feel free to call our offices toll-free 1-800-691-9067 to connect with a family referral specialist who can provide you with comprehensive referral services.

I found a broken link on the website. What do I do?

Please follow these instructions to report broken links, error messages, or any technical issues with the NewMexicoKids.org website:

1. Copy the link of the page you were trying to access
2. If possible, copy the error message or take a screenshot of the page with the technical issue
3. Submit a ticket to our support system or send an email to support@newmexicokids.org
4. When submitting the ticket, include as many details as possible like when you tried to access a resource, what the error message was, the link you tried to click on, the page you were viewing, the browser you use (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc), and the type of computer you are using (Apple, Macbook, Dell, etc).

There is out-of-date information on your website / I would like to request an update for information on the website.

To request an update for the content on our websites, please submit a ticket through our ticket system or send an email to support@newmexicokids.org and detail your request as thoroughly as possible. We will assign the ticket to the appropriate team for updates.

I would like to share a resource to be included in your website.

For programs or organizations looking to have their resources featured on our website, please submit a ticket as described above. Not all resources can be included in our website. The University of New Mexico Early Childhood Services Center reserves the right to remove content on the website at any time, and retains the right to deny any content change requests that are not approved by management, the Early Childhood Education and Care department, or University of New Mexico policies.

What is FOCUS?

FOCUS is the New Mexico Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS), and it provides early childhood programs and personnel with the criteria, tools, and resources they need to improve the quality of their programs. These improvements focus on children’s growth, development, and learning so that each child has an equitable opportunity to be successful upon entering school or school-aged programs.

How do I know if a program is a FOCUS program?

FOCUS programs are any programs with a quality rating. In our system, a quality rating goes from Registered (no stars) to 5-Stars. The star level (quality level) is not a recommendation or a review like the ratings on Google Reviews or Yelp, instead the quality levels indicate a program’s certifications with specific areas, ability to receive financial assistance payments for child care, and more. For more information, please visit our FOCUS and Quality Programs pages.