Lack of access to and affordability of quality child care in New Hampshire has been a considerable workforce constraint, with an average of 16,000 Granite Staters a month in 2023 reporting they were not in the workforce because they were caring for children who were not in school or daycare. The impact on family household finances is especially profound for those with low and moderate incomes, who end up relying more on a mix of care arrangements.  

Expanded eligibility for child care scholarships and reduced family contribution requirements enacted by New Hampshire State Fiscal Years 2024-2025 State Budget aim to make child care more affordable for Granite Staters with low and moderate incomes. Under the newly expanded eligibility, households that earn under 85 percent of the State Median Income may be eligible to participate if other program requirements are also met. A family of two, for example, making under $72,193 a year may be eligible for a scholarship, with cost shares limited to $5 a week for those earning under $27,214, and no cost shares for those under $19,720.  

Learn more in NHFPI’s January 2024 blog: https://nhfpi.org/blog/new-hampshire-child-care-scholarship-eligibility-to-be-expanded-in-2024-provider-reimbursement-rates-increased/