Child Care Center Funding Cut By 10% Statewide In New Mexico
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson extended child care assistance this week for nearly 8,000 families but instead, shifted the burden to child care providers.
“The state won,? Sandra Monica, owner of Kid?s Castle, said. ?I give up.”
Monica?s operated Kid?s Castle in Las Cruces for nearly the past five years. But with the State?s decision to slash funding by 10%, the clock is ticking down to the inevitable, Monica said.
“There is no way,? Monica said. ?I just looked at my husband and said, ?I can’t do this, and there is no way we can financially afford the center.?”
This Friday the glass doors located at the front of the building will close forever. Classrooms will be left empty. And nearly one dozen employees will be jobless.
“How am I going to pay my bills because I?m a single mother of two kids,” Brandy Loughborough, Kid?s Castle employee, said. “These kids are my life too here at the center, so it’s really hard.”
Celeste Venegas is just one of more than 60 parents now forced to find somewhere else to look after their children.
?I just can’t believe it,? Venegas said. ?It happened so fast. My daughter loves this place, teachers were awesome with her, it’s going to be hard on her too, not just me, she has to get used to something else.”
Kid?s Castle is one big family, Loughborough said, with tear-filled eyes.
“I’ve seen these kids go from the baby room to the preschool and to see them sad to leave the day care, it breaks my heart,? Loughborough said.
Monica said, she questions why stimulus money is not directed toward child care.
“I hope the Governor and whoever is responsible for this can sleep at night,? Monica said. “They’ve just dropped too many bombs on us and I just can’t, I need to go ahead and step away.”
10% cuts translated into a $2,500 loss per month for Kid?s Castle, Monica said. After already downsizing, closing was the only affordable option, and Monica said, she foresees other child care centers across the State facing the same difficult decision.
