Op-Ed: New licensing rules alone can't deliver childcare we need
Carleigh and Shannon Tremblay co-wrote this piece for the Union Leader
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 moms who have been active in crafting and advocating for better policy, we understand the economic and political imperatives and know 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.
Put simply, every unavailable child care spot costs New Hampshire up to $35,000 each year. That is no longer a price we can afford to pay.
The state’s updated child care licensing rules are a positive step, but rules alone won’t solve the crisis. We need sustained investment from both state and federal leaders and the business community. Employers already recognize child care is an essential need for their employees, now they must act and our government must step up to support them by passing crucial and long awaited reforms:
An expanded child tax credit for every family living in the United States.
Income-based caps on out-of-pocket childcare expenses and sliding scale fees like those available to the families of US military personnel.
Expanding the Child Care and Development Fund and fully funding Head Start, so that all childcare workers can depend on a living wage and supportive working conditions.
Child care is not a perk. It’s the backbone of our economy. If New Hampshire wants families and businesses to thrive, investing in child care is not optional. It’s essential.
Shannon Tremblay is a mother of four with over 20 years of experience in child care. She now advocates at the state and local level to strengthen the child care field and support providers, children, and families.
Carleigh Beriont is a mother of two and candidate for Congress in the First District. She has worked as a union organizer and helps lead HATCh, the Hampton Alliance for Thriving Children.
