Bill to improve child care scholarship-related communication between providers, DHHS passes House 

The New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship Program helps eligible New Hampshire families pay for child care by providing direct payments to qualified early childhood and out-of-school providers for children under 13. (Photo by Dana Wormald/New Hampshire Bulletin)

The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would make it easier for New Hampshire providers and families to understand where they are in the child care scholarship process. 

While voting on the consent calendar — a group of bills considered noncontroversial and acted upon with a single vote — the House passed House Bill 1720, which addresses communication among parents applying for the scholarship, providers who receive scholarship payments, and the state, which facilitates the program. 

The New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship Program helps eligible New Hampshire families pay for child care by providing direct payments to qualified early childhood and out-of-school providers for children under 13.

HB 1720 would require the Department of Health and Human Services to notify child care programs when it receives a scholarship application that lists them as a provider within three days of receiving it. Once the department decides whether an application is approved, denied, or withdrawn, providers must be notified within three days. The bill also allocates $230,000 to update NH EASY, the system parents use for the scholarship, to send the information to providers

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Providers have expressed the need for improved communication with the state. Currently, state law requires the department to provide notice to providers within 30 days, although Karen Hebert, director of the Division of Economic Stability, said the department typically takes about 11 days from submission to response. 

Rep. Lisa Mazur, a Goffstown Republican, introduced the bill to the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee on Jan. 21. She said the bill would not only address the communication gap but also reduce the financial burden that comes with holding a slot open. 

“This early notice helps child care programs plan responsibly, reduces financial uncertainty, and supports the stability of providers who are already operating with limited capacity and tight margins,” she said.  

Most programs have waitlists due to the state’s shortage of child care, so families know which program they are enrolling in when they apply for the scholarship. Programs also struggle to make ends meet, so holding a spot for an extended period results in lost revenue.

While New Hampshire has a large child care affordability and availability problem, Rep. Margaret Drye, a Plainfield Republican and co-sponsor of the bill, said that HB 1720 is “a small piece of the puzzle” in making it easier for providers and families. Child care advocates testified that the bill would improve program cash flow. 

HB 1720 will go to the House Finance Committee for a second hearing due to its $230,000 financial note for the one-time NH EASY update.