New Hampshire's child care system is in crisis. Child care is not affordable for most families, and the industry is struggling to recruit and retain employees due to low wages and high operational costs. Statewide, demand for child care exceeds available spots, and consolidation of child care centers has forced families to travel far distances to larger cities and towns to access care.
We must do better to support New Hampshire families.
Why It Matters
High-quality child care keeps children safe and healthy. It helps children develop the social, emotional, and communication skills they will need for success in school and in life. Child care also helps identify and address adverse childhood experiences(ACEs), and keeps the economy thriving by allowing parents opportunities to work.
By the Numbers
$17,250
The average annual price for an infant in center-based care (Child Care Aware, 2024).
64%
The income a single mother spends on child care.
$12.99
What the average child care worker makes per hour in New Hampshire.
16,500
Granite State parents are not working because they are caring for young children.
Our Impact
The child care crisis in New Hampshire has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, New Futures championed the Child Care for NH Working Families Act, which modernized the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship program to ensure that more families qualify for scholarships. The Child Care for NH Working Families Act also included funding to support recruitment and retention for the child care workforce. Through this legistlation, a historic $60.5 million was directed in the State Budget to support New Hampshire families. In 2024, New Futures worked with the New Hampshire Child Care Coalition to pass legislation that helps address the statewide child care workforce shortage by providing child care workers with access to the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship program. The Coalition also supported legislation that provides extra supports to child care centers caring for children with complex needs.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Futures championed legislation that increased state investment in publicly funded child care ($11 million in 2017) and expanded eligibility of the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship to cover individuals engaged in substance use disorder and mental health treatment ($2.6 million in 2019).
