Warmington backs state investment in childcare and pre-kindergarten on campaign trail

Cinde Warmington, a Democratic candidate for New Hampshire governor, outlined her priorities for childcare while touring a program in Rochester Tuesday. 

The former executive councilor visited Rochester Child Care Center and participated in a roundtable discussion with Executive Director Cora Hoppe, Family Services Coordinator Anne Grassie, and Rochester Mayor Chuck Grassie. They discussed increasing state investment in early education, home-based care, issues with the state’s quality system, and the childcare scholarship program. 

Warmington said that during her time as an executive councilor, she worked to reform the state’s background check process and reduce the red tape preventing family childcare programs from opening. She said that, as governor, she would make it a priority to secure a budget that enables more state investment. 

“Our budget will reflect the priorities of our administration, which will be on the things that matter to the people of our state, on housing, on childcare, on making sure electric rates are under control,” she said. Warmington said she has already spoken with House and Senate leadership about what the next budget could look like if she is elected. 

In a departure from the main priorities of incumbent Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte, Warmington said a good use of funds would be to expand state-funded pre-kindergarten programs. 

According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, New Hampshire is one of five states that do not offer a state-funded preschool program for 4-year-olds, along with Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. 

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Warmington said she is in favor of reallocating money from the voucher-like education freedom accounts program to local public schools to pay for pre-K. 

Neither Ayotte nor Warmington has given a clear answer about funding the childcare workforce grant program, one of the biggest childcare issues of the past legislative session. The workforce grant would provide funding to programs for staff raises, bonuses, healthcare, and more to improve employee recruitment and retention in the field. 

Warmington did not say whether she would use state general funds for the childcare workforce grant program when asked two separate times. Last week at a bill signing, Ayotte said she would address workforce concerns through community colleges and high school programs. 

During the roundtable discussion, Hoppe said the “biggest issues” are having to cut services to children and families due to funding cuts, “shut down” state contracts, and losing teachers to neighboring states that pay higher wages.

“(Families) are moving out of our state because it’s too costly for them to stay here,” Warmington said. “It’s just plain unacceptable, and we need to be prioritizing different priorities.”