Bilingual Incentive Payment

Bilingual incentive for early childhood educators

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ECECD Bilingual Payment Incentive application is currently closed

We have currently reached funding limits for the Bilingual Incentive.  

We will start accepting applications again on July 1, 2025.

About the Program

The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) is supporting certified bilingual/multilingual early childhood educators with a one-time payment of $1,500.  This one-time payment is available to all early childhood professionals who meet the requirements listed below.  Qualification requirements for Payment Incentive and Scholarship programs are established by ECECD.  All program awards are subject to funding availability.  

The Bilingual Incentive Payment Program is open to all early childhood employees who are currently working a minimum of 20 hours per week with children ages birth – five (up to Kindergarten) at one of these qualifying programs:

  • Early care and education programs that are licensed or registered through ECECD; or
  • Tribal child care; or
  • ECECD-funded PreK and Early PreK programs in a community-based setting; or
  • NM PreK or Early PreK programs authorized by a public school or charter including Title I or 619 Preschool Programs; or
  • NM Head Start or Early Head Start programs; or
  • NM Tribal Head Start or Early Head Start programs; or
  • ECECD-funded New Mexico Home Visiting or Family Infant Toddler Programs; and
  • ECECD-funded Early Childhood Coalition
You will need to include a verification letter of employment from your supervisor.  Your letter should include the following information:
  • Your name
  • Job Title
  • Ages of children you work with
  • Hours worked per week
  • Hourly rate of pay

The employment verification letter must be signed and dated by your supervisor, on letterhead, and include your supervisor’s contact information.

Bilingual Certification Documents

  • We recognize ALL languages for the Bilingual Incentive Payment.
      • Incentive payments are not limited to those who speak Spanish as their second language.
      • Examples of second (and even third or more) languages include but are not limited to American Sign Language, Japanese, and Native Languages.
  • One-time incentive payment is $1,500
  • You must have a CNM W9 form on file with CNM before any payments can be issued.  The Program Team will contact you if we need your W9 or to verify your information on file is current. 
  • Verification is for your secondary language.
    • Example:  If your primary language is Spanish and your secondary language is English, you will upload documents verifying you are certified in English.
  •  You must upload a copy of your certification document that shows you are certified in a second (or third or more) language.
  • Bilingual Certification documents include:
    • passed PRAXIS or other  Language Assessment   OR
    • passed La Prueba  OR
    • bilingual seal on High School Diploma   OR
    • Tribal/Pueblo/Nation Certification for indigenous languages
    • Other document showing proficiency
  • If you have a different type of certification document not listed above, contact us for help

If you need help applying for the bilingual incentive payment, please contact us for help.

Language Proficiency Testing Options

The following sites provide language proficiency testing.  NOTE:  We do not endorse any of these sites, and there are other sites that offer language testing.  We offer these as a resource only, should you need language proficiency testing services.  Approved bilingual applicants can be reimbursed for proficiency testing costs.