New Hampshire is facing many child care challenges. Red tape doesn't have to be one of them.

Yahoo

15-04-2025

"Our state lawmakers have the power to remove unnecessary barriers Child Care Scholarship participants have experienced. " (Photo by)
Child care in New Hampshire has become increasingly unaffordable for working families, creating a challenge that affects not only parents and children but our entire state economy. While the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship Program exists to help families afford quality care, administrative red tape has caused this vital resource to be underutilized.
Recent reports from both the UNH Carsey School of Public Policy and the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute confirm what many families already know: our Child Care Scholarship system is hampered by 'substantial paperwork and complicated application processes' that limit its reach and effectiveness.
In a series of focus groups, participants applying for the Child Care Scholarship said they found the process 'particularly complicated,' and reported experiencing 'substantial stress' and investing 'significant time' in applying. As one parent described the process, 'You literally have to have all your ducks in a row for you to even apply.' This parent explained, 'You have to have the day care that they're going to, the hours that they're going to be, and then you have to have that all set up with your work.'
Even with all those pieces in place, the parent described a frustrating 'runaround' in the application process. 'There's been a few times when I'm, like, OK, what do you need? Do you need blood at this point? Because it's just like I've given you everything at this point.'
And while going through this process, the parent explained, 'You see those [child care] balances adding up and if you miss one thing and they deny [your application], then you have to redo it all over again hoping that [the child care provider won't say] you need to pay this until they can reimburse us.'
Our state lawmakers have the power to remove unnecessary barriers Child Care Scholarship participants have experienced.
Senate Bill 243, for example, would create a pilot program for 'presumptive eligibility,' allowing families who meet basic screening criteria to receive up to 60 days of scholarship funding while their full application is processed. This addresses a critical gap during which families could have to delay the start of a job while waiting for scholarship approval. Parents should not have to turn down employment opportunities because they can't afford child care while their paperwork is being processed.
The bill would also require a study of the application process itself. In recent listening sessions across the state, New Futures learned that families applying for Child Care Scholarship funding face time-consuming requests for information and documentation, often beyond what's needed to determine eligibility for the scholarship program. Blended or foster families, parents with disabilities that exempt them from the program's work requirements, families with limited technology, and families with a primary language other than English can face additional hurdles in the application process. This study will ensure eligible families aren't unreasonably discouraged from participating in the program.
And, the bill aligns scholarship processes with the realities of modern child care businesses. Currently, providers waste valuable time reporting detailed attendance data despite the fact that payments are now based on enrollment, not attendance. The legislation would streamline these processes and also create a system of up-front payments for child care providers — just as they receive from non-scholarship families — offering greater economic stability and encouraging more providers to accept scholarship families.
Such updates to the Child Care Scholarship program would address problems that are preventing an existing program from reaching its full potential. The benefits of these improvements would extend far beyond administrative convenience. When more families can access the scholarship program, more children receive quality care linked to positive developmental outcomes, child care businesses receive much-needed support, and parents can participate more fully in our state's workforce. And importantly, the federal government more than matches every state dollar spent on the program.
At a time when child care costs are crushing family budgets and limiting our workforce, we can't afford to let administrative barriers restrict access to this important program.
Cora Hoppe, the executive director of the Rochester Child Care Center, has noted that when families secure a scholarship: 'The sense of relief is huge. I don't see parents coming in panicked about paying their bill or afraid to see me. [Parents] can build better relationships with the teachers and administration because they're not worried about [paying their bill].'
The New Hampshire Legislature has an opportunity to make our Child Care Scholarship program work as intended — supporting children, families, providers, and our economy.