Extra help for extra needs
Family perspectives on New Mexico's supplemental child care subsidy program for families at risk for involvement with child protective services
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12136897 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hailey Heinz (0000-0003-1192-5108, University of New Mexico, corresponding author), Shelley Alonso-Marsden (University of New Mexico), Elisabeth Baker Martínez (0009-0004-9600-634X, University of New Mexico) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 68 |
| Pages | 180-190 |
| Publication date | 2024-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Early Childhood Research Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0885-2006 • E-ISSN: 1873-7706 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.05.008 |
| OpenAlex | W4398788292 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 45 |
Families at risk for child welfare system contact benefit from child care subsidies. • These benefits include economic stability through employment and increased savings. • New Mexico provides this population with child care subsidy support and flexibilities. • Flexible eligibility documentation and enrollment rules benefit the study population. • Study participants value child care case workers trained in trauma-informed practice. • Study participants struggle to access child care that meets their logistical needs. This study examines the perspectives of a sample of parents and primary caregivers who received child care subsidies through New Mexico's at-risk eligibility designation, which is reserved for families who are or are at risk for becoming involved with child protective services (CPS). Qualifying families pay no copays, have limited documentation requirements, and are provided with additional enrollment supports by specialized eligibility workers with lower caseloads and training in trauma-informed practices. Families reported positive experiences with their eligibility workers and with the enrollment process, saying almost universally that they did not face administrative burdens to enrollment and that their caseworker was responsive and helpful. Despite positive experiences with the subsidy system, families reported difficulties finding child care that met their needs, mainly due to challenges related to non-traditional work hours, transportation, and children's behavioral health needs. The study findings are exploratory but suggest that enhanced supports from specialized eligibility workers are valued by families facing complex risk factors and may help them access child care subsidies. Access to subsidies, in turn, helps families afford and access care. However, the utility of child care subsidies remains limited without a supply of care that meets families' logistical needs and supports their children's development. Given previously documented administrative burdens and challenges families face in accessing child care subsidies, New Mexico's approach has potential implications for other states aiming to enhance equitable access to care for families at risk for CPS involvement—a population that disproportionately experiences systemic disadvantages and destabilizing circumstances
Child care · Environmental health · Family medicine · Injury prevention · Poison control · Political science · Subsidy · Suicide prevention · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child Welfare and Adoption · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing · Psychology · Gerontology
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| Citations per year | 2.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Highly cited | No |