Episode Details

New Hampshire’s Executive Councilors John Stephen and Joe Kenney stunned childcare advocates by rejecting a million-dollar federal childcare quality contract, opting instead to prioritize a workforce grant aimed at boosting wages and retention. Despite the funding being earmarked for quality improvement under the federally recognized Granite Steps program — one of whose pathways had been starved of resources since 2022 — councilors argue that fixing staffing shortages comes first. The workforce grant itself has been delayed since last June due to complex TANF funding hurdles, and new guidance confirms it can’t be funded through those or other federal child care dollars. Still, Stephen and Kenney stand firm, saying they see no downside to their decision — and an amended version of the rejected contract is poised for another vote, leaving the future of childcare funding in limbo.

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