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12 | Early Childhood Education and Care Department STEPS IN CHOOSING CHILD CARE Step 1: Decide on what kind of child care best meets your needs. • Do you prefer home-based or center-based child care? • Do you want a relative to take care of your child? • For what hours and days do you need child care? • What is the best fit for my child? Step 2: New Mexico Child Care Finder Visit ECECD’s New Mexico Child Care Finder to filter results that meet your family’s needs. The Child Care Finder, allows parents and caregivers to search for one of the 1000+ child care programs statewide, filtering by proximity, age of child, quality rating, tuition, language, program type, and more. Need a customized referral with a Family Specialist? Please call NewMexicoKids Resource and Referral at 1 (800) 691- 9067. The call will be personalized to your specific needs. It takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, and referrals will be given to you via e-mail or over the phone. Calls are returned Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Step 3: Visit Child Care Centers and Ask Questions Once you have received a list of child care options, spend some time interviewing each center director/caregiver. When interviewing child care centers or caregivers, here’s a helpful approach to make sure you gather all the key details you need: to access the New Mexico Child Care finder website. Scan Me childcare.ececd.nm.gov/search continued →