New Mexico’s universal child-care program has expanded access and helped some families, but a severe shortage of available places means Dakota Rivera remains unable to find care for her two children a year after the initiative began. Enrollment has risen to 47,000 from 32,000, while the state has added 6,700 day-care slots against an estimated initial shortfall of 15,000. The program, funded partly through an early-childhood trust supported by oil and gas revenue, faces legal challenges, a reported budget deficit and warnings that annual costs could approach $849 million. Critics say higher-income families are displacing lower-income recipients, while state officials point to higher wages, improved care quality and broader family choice. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says the initiative is a long-term investment and a potential national model, but acknowledges that New Mexico is still building the system.