Bilingual Incentive Payment

Bilingual incentive for early childhood educators

About the Program

ECECD (Early Childhood Education and Care Department) 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.

The bilingual incentive payment is open to all early childhood educators who provide direct support to children ages 0-5 and who are currently working at a:
  • New Mexico licensed or registered childcare setting;
  • Tribal child care;
  • New Mexico Pre-K or Early Pre-K program in a community-based setting;
  • New Mexico Pre-K or Early Pre-K program authorized by a public school or charter including Title I or 619 Preschool Program;
  • New Mexico Head Start or Early Head Start program;
  • New Mexico Tribal Head Start or Early Head Start program;
  • state-funded New Mexico Home Visiting program;
  • state-funded New Mexico Family Infant Toddler (FIT)-Early Intervention Program
  • ECECD-funded Early Childhood Coalition Program

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
  • We must have a CNM W9 form on file to issue payment.
  •  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.