I'm writing to encourage you to support SB 243, which will streamline the New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship program for parents and providers, ensuring Granite State families have better access to affordable, quality child care.

Understanding the high return on investment this program offers, the New Hampshire legislature expanded eligibility to the scholarship program two years ago. Since then, more families than ever have tried to access the program. However, extensive paperwork and outdated attendance-tracking requirements put unnecessary burdens on families and providers alike, limiting the number of families the program serves.

SB 243 will streamline paperwork through fast-track applications for families and simplify data entry for providers. It will also reduce processing delays and improve the payment system to child care centers.

Child care costs in New Hampshire have skyrocketed. Families with two children under five now face annual child care costs of over $32,000. Because of these expenses, it is estimated that 16,000 adults are not in the workforce due to a lack of affordable child care.

For these reasons, I urge you to support SB 243 so that Granite State parents can return to the workforce.