Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) Applauds NH State Budget for Fully Funding the Child Care for NH Working Families Act

“The full funding of the Child Care for NH Working Families Act is a monumental win for the children and families of New Hampshire”

Washington, D.C. (June 15, 2023) — Save the Children Action Network (SCAN), a leading political voice for children, applauds the New Hampshire House and Senate for fully funding the Child Care for NH Working Families Act in the recently passed state budget. This is a significant victory toward building a child care system that supports families, providers, and child care professionals across the state.

“The full funding of the Child Care for NH Working Families Act is a monumental win for the children and families of New Hampshire,” said Lindsay Hanson, Senior Director of State & Electoral Campaigns at SCAN. “With a total investment of over $60.5 million from federal, state, and TANF transfer funds, this Act strengthens New Hampshire’s economy while ensuring the preservation of a vibrant, healthy future for families.”

The Act addresses the crisis in the child care workforce by providing assistance and educational opportunities. It includes a workforce scholarship fund for providers through the Department of Health and Human Services, an additional scholarship fund for early childhood education credits through the community college system, and improved career pathways for high school students. In addition to these critical changes, historic investments in the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship Program remove barriers around eligibility and cost-share policies that previously limited access for many low-income families. Moving to enrollment-based payment benefits both providers and families, and market rate surveys will now more accurately reflect the costs of child care in New Hampshire.

SCAN has worked with partners like New Futures and MomsRising in the New Hampshire Child Care Coalition to mobilize providers, parents, and business leaders to advocate for investments in early childhood education. This achievement is the result of months of collective effort, including polling, large-scale mobilization, advocacy events, targeted digital ad campaigns, hundreds of emails, and powerful testimonies by our volunteers. To celebrate this victory and thank lawmakers, SCAN paid for a three-day takeover of the Union Leader.

SCAN commends New Hampshire State lawmakers for prioritizing early childhood education and working families. The full funding of the Child Care for NH Working Families Act marks a significant step towards a brighter future for children in the state.

### 

Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) was created in 2014 as the political advocacy arm of Save the Children. We work to ensure that the issues critical to children’s lives and futures are given top priority by our elected leaders, building bipartisan support to make sure every child has a strong start in life.  

Learn more about SCAN here: https://savethechildrenactionnetwork.org/