In New Hampshire, child care for a family with two children under five costs more than $32,000 per year. Child care scholarships provide critical support for working families, but complex paperwork requirements, upfront payment demands, and burdensome data tracking for providers create significant burdens. Families must navigate intrusive documentation requests and unclear cost-sharing expectations while potentially facing hundreds of dollars in weekly expenses before their scholarships are approved – a system that strains parents and child care providers alike.
SB 243 streamlines the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship for parents and providers, ensuring Granite State families have better access to the program.
About the Bill
SB 243 will streamline the process for parents and providers by making the following changes to the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship Program:
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Fast Track Applications would simplify the application process for families who do not wish to opt-in to other state supplemental assistance programs. This would cut down on the need to provide grocery bills, housing costs, and more for New Hampshire Families.
Simplified Data Entry would simplify the attendance verification process for providers, which would allow child care administrators to spend more time caring for children.
A 60-day temporary period of presumptive eligibility would allow providers and families to place children in available slots promptly without the burden of financial uncertainty while applications are being processed. New Hampshire already uses presumptive eligibility in its Medicaid program.
Currently, child care centers track the attendance of children and then receive weekly payments for scholarships recipients. Proactive payments would remove the upfront burden by issuing payments at the beginning of each payment period.
WATCH: How Affordable Child Care is Transforming NH Families
Take Action
Call Your Representatives - script provided!
A phone call is the most effective way to contact a legislator when advocating on a specific issue or bill. It is helpful for many people to prepare beforehand. Here is a sample script:
"Hello Representative [Last Name]. My name is [your name here] and I live in your district in the town of [your town].
I am calling to ask you to overturn the committee recommendation and PASS SB 243.
- This bill makes it easier for families to access child care in New Hampshire.
- Approximately 55,000 children are eligible for the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship Program, but the program is underutilized. SB 243 simplifies the application process to ensure more families can access the program.
- SB 243 also makes it easier for child care providers to accept the scholarship by simplifying their data entry requirements.
- Child care costs over $32,000 for families with two young children and 13 percent of Granite State parents left their jobs in the last year to stay home to care for their children and our economy loses tens of millions of dollars when parents leave their jobs due to unmet child care needs.
- Support young, working Granite State families by supporting SB 243.
- [Include any other personal remarks you'd like!]
Thank you for your time and consideration on this issue."
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Spread the Word: Fact Sheet
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Bill Status
The House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee held a public hearing for SB 243 on Wednesday, April 16. Next, the committee will hold an executive session to vote on a recommendation for the bill.
Bill Progress:
Feb. 19: Senate Health & Human Services Public Hearing
March 5: Senate HHS Committee Recommendation - Ought to Pass (5-0)
March 13: NH Senate Passes SB 243 (24-0), Refers bill to Senate Finance Committee
March 19: Senate Finance Recommendation - Ought to Pass (6-0)
March 27: NH Senate Passes SB 243 (24-0); Bill Advances to NH House of Representatives
April 16: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Public Hearing
Next: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Executive Session
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