New Poll Shows Bipartisan Support for Child Care Scholarships in New Hampshire – NH Journal
A new statewide poll finds that New Hampshire voters in both parties believe child care costs are leaving families struggling, and a strong majority support more public funding for early childhood education — particularly if it includes parental choice.
The poll, conducted by pollster Alex Lundry of Redbud Consulting, found that 58 percent of Granite State voters believe families with young children are struggling, while just 2 percent think they are thriving — a more pessimistic view than the national average. Only 13 percent of respondents said they were “very confident” that families in their community have the resources and support they need.
Those attitudes are rooted in personal experience: three in four New Hampshire voters said child care in their area is expensive, and 37 percent called it “very expensive.” About 40 percent said finding available care is difficult — 10 points higher than the national figure.
The results of the poll will be formally presented at a forum on child care and early education at St. Anselm College on Oct. 30, hosted by New Futures in partnership with the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA), the Business and Industry Association (BIA), and the Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA).
The poll found that Granite Staters see benefits from supporting child care, including its economic impact: experts say a lack of child care costs the U.S. economy billions in lost productivity.
Voters also believe it can level the playing field for their fellow Americans and that early education helps ensure equal opportunity for all children.
Rebecca Woitkowski of New Futures said child care costs are reshaping family life.
“The reality is that New Hampshire families don’t have a lot of choice when it comes to child care,” she told NHJournal on the Up To Speed podcast. “Many are choosing to have fewer children, or none at all, because of the cost and limited availability. For infant care, you’re looking at over $21,000 a year for center-based care, and even preschool costs around $12,000. It’s a system that doesn’t encourage family growth in New Hampshire.”
One of the most striking findings from the poll is the overwhelming support for a child care scholarship program, which would help working families pay for a range of child care options. The program received 84 percent statewide approval, including 47 percent who said they strongly support it.
“The child care scholarship program is a little bit different,” Woitkowski said. “It’s available to working New Hampshire parents. It doesn’t provide a full dollar-for-dollar supplement for your child care costs but instead provides a discount on those costs. It can be used in a number of different settings, including at-home or neighborhood programs and church child care centers. It’s really rooted in parental choice.”
Lundry told NHJournal the scholarships resonate with both fiscal conservatives and family advocates.
“It’s a fiscally sound approach,” he said. “These scholarships give parents options — this isn’t the government telling you how to raise your kid. It’s about helping families navigate a real economic challenge.”
And, Lundry added, because the idea is so popular, there’s a political opportunity as well.
“If I were being very crassly political about this, I would point out there’s a real first-mover advantage to whichever party owns this policy,” he said.
For Woitkowski, the message is simple.
“We’re reaching a point where New Hampshire has to decide how much it really values families,” she said. “The cost of care is more than an economic issue — it’s about the future of our communities.”
Michael Graham is Managing Editor of insideSources.com.
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