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WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

Universal access, free childcare for every New Mexico family.

The governor of New Mexico with a big promise to parents, how is it going to work? It's Friday, September 12th, and this is here and now anytime from NPR and WBUR.

I'm Chris Bentley.

Today on the show...

Could we please get started?

For Pete's sake?

In this ever-changing world...

Most people know Sherry Lewis as the children's puppeteer behind the beloved sock puppet

lamb chop.

More than enough of a legacy for people like me who watched lambchop's play along on PBS growing up in the 90s, or for generations before me who followed Sherry's shows back to

the 1960s. But a new documentary explores the layers of Sherry Lewis's talent, how Lambchop paved

the way for women in entertainment and created a new genre of children's programming. Coming up in a few

minutes. But first, New Mexico is about to become the first state in the nation to offer universal child care.

Starting in November, every parent in the state, regardless of how much they earn,

will get child care at no cost, and entry-level child care staff will earn a minimum of $18 an hour.

It's one of the states with the highest poverty rates, so how will New Mexico

pull this off? That's what Sarah McCammon asked Elizabeth Griginski, the state's Secretary

of Early Childhood Education and Care. This is part of a long-term trajectory the state has been on

since for decades, but since they created the Early Childhood Education and Care Department in 2019,

...