When we talk about the foundations of a strong economy, we often point to roads, good schools, and housing. But there’s another form of infrastructure just as critical, one that supports every industry in New Hampshire: child care. As a working mom, Carleigh understands the economic and political imperatives and knows firsthand how hard it is to find and afford childcare. 

Without affordable, reliable childcare, parents can’t work, businesses can’t hire, and children lose out on the early learning experiences that set them up for success. Yet New Hampshire faces a severe shortage. Between 2017 and 2024, the state lost nearly 13 percent of its licensed child care capacity for children under five.  

That’s nearly six thousand kids with nowhere to go when their parents have to go to work. That’s thousands of parents, mostly moms, who have to cut back their hours or quit their jobs to stay home because they have nowhere to bring their kids. That’s thousands of parents and grandparents turning their lives upside down to figure out what to do and where to turn in a state where more and more it feels like no one cares about them. 

The workforce crisis driving this shortage is clear. In 2023, child care educators earned a median wage of $15.62 an hour, less than half the pay of other similar industries. These are the people we depend on to hold our babies when we can’t, to care for our kids while we work to be able to afford to put food on our tables and a roof over our heads. Thanks to the low wages and difficult working conditions, turnover among childcare workers is projected at 17 percent annually. When programs can’t recruit or retain staff, they close classrooms, leaving families without options.

The costs ripple across the economy:

• Families lost up to $178 million in wages in 2023.

• Businesses lost up to $55.5 million from lost productivity and turnover.

• State and local governments lost up to $14 million in tax revenue.

Carleigh is a millennial who can count on one hand the number of friends who can afford to have kids because the cost is so impossibly high. She’ll fight to cap childcare at 7% of family income and ensure every childcare worker earns a living wage.