Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo announced that in 2026, 200 Child Education and Care Centers (CECI) will be built as part of the national project to strengthen women’s economic autonomy. These efforts are part of a broader goal to construct one thousand centers in 507 municipalities across the country by 2030, with 150 sites already validated to begin construction next year.
During her morning press conference, “Las mañaneras del pueblo,” the president emphasized that the Government of Mexico is taking an active role in creating spaces that facilitate women’s access to work and education. “The State must take on part of the caregiving responsibilities so that women can achieve greater economic autonomy,” she said, highlighting that the expansion of the National Care System is a decisive step toward ensuring equal opportunities.
Zoé Robledo Aburto, Director General of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), explained that the CECIs will be located near workplaces, Economic Development Hubs for Well-being (PODECOBI), and Infonavit housing complexes. He noted that the first centers under construction in Ciudad Juárez are showing significant progress and that construction of the first rural CECI, located in San Quintín, Baja California, will begin in December.
Meanwhile, Citlalli Hernández Mora, Secretary for Women, recalled that the creation of the National and Progressive Care System is commitment number 55 of the “Second Floor” of the Fourth Transformation. She explained that Annex 31 of the 2026 Federal Expenditure Budget Project proposes an investment of 466.675 billion pesos — equivalent to 3.97 percent of total federal spending — to strengthen policies that promote women’s well-being and economic autonomy.
In this context, the Secretariat for Women and the National DIF System presented the Care Information System (SIDECU), available at cuidados.mujeres.gob.mx, a digital platform that maps and organizes public care services across Mexico. María del Rocío García Pérez, head of the National DIF, reported that the system has already identified 118,618 care centers operated by 17 federal institutions, aiming to make nearby and reliable services more accessible to citizens.
