NH Congressional and Senate Candidates Discuss Childcare at Forum

The Childcare Cost Crisis Takes Center Stage in New Hampshire Midterms

Families across New Hampshire are looking at childcare bills, turning early education policy into a central battleground as voters head to the polls for Tuesday’s midterm elections. A candidate forum hosted last week by Early Learning New Hampshire and the Save the Children Action Network NH drew over 90 childcare providers to hear major-party contenders for the Senate and both congressional districts lay out competing visions for affordability, newhampshirebulletin.com reported.

The urgency of the debate is rooted in shifting financial realities across the state. According to a September report from the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, reliance on federal dollars to fund the NH Child Care Scholarship Program has surged by 62% between 2020 and the end of the current state fiscal year in June 2027, even as state funding for the program dropped by 19%. With the state depending heavily on federal support for Head Start, scholarships, and quality initiatives, the federal policy choices debated by congressional candidates carry direct consequences for local providers.

The 2nd Congressional District Rematch

In the 2nd Congressional District, voters face a repeat of the 2024 ballot between Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander and Republican nominee Lily Tang Williams. Goodlander, elected in 2024, pointed to her first-term record at the forum, highlighting federal funding secured for early education programs at community colleges, North Country childcare centers, and military families through her seat on the House Armed Services Committee.

LIVE: Senate Candidates Chris Pappas & John Sununu Participate in New Hampshire Forum | AC1Z

It’s been a top priority for me to do everything in my power as your congresswoman to make childcare early education affordable, and a profession that the best among us want to enter into in New Hampshire, Goodlander said.

Goodlander also talked about the situation as a crisis where families pay as much as a mortgage for care.

Maggie goodlander official portrait congress by united states house of representatives

Challenging that approach, Williams, an entrepreneur and educator, ran on a platform centered on reducing federal spending, affordability and limited government. She told providers at the forum that inflation forces businesses to pass operational expenses directly onto parents.

If the state inspect, why do you need the federal government to inspect again? Williams asked, arguing that federal rules pile unnecessary regulatory layers on top of state oversight. New Hampshire lawmakers and the Child Care Advisory Committee reformed state laws in 2025 to streamline regulations, cutting the code from over 200 pages down to fewer than 90. Williams also proposed urging employers to expand tax incentives to help recruit educators into the workforce.

🔴 LIVE: Chris Pappas and John Sununu Face Off at New Hampshire Senate Forum | AC1E

Diverging Strategies in the Senate Race

The race to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen features a stark contrast between Democratic Congressman Chris Pappas and former Sen. John E. Sununu. Pappas, representing the 1st Congressional District, pointed to his legislative record supporting out-of-pocket spending caps, the reinstatement of the expanded child tax credit, and increased resources for rural childcare and off-shift workers.

This is such an important issue, and I’ve been fighting to get resources to New Hampshire childcare providers so they can open more slots, improve wages, and meet the needs of families, Pappas said in a pre-recorded video played at the forum.

LIVE: Chris Pappas & John Sununu Debate Key Issues in Rye, New Hampshire Senate Forum | AC1G

Sununu focused his appearance on rolling back federal regulations and smoothing out state administrative hurdles, particularly regarding background checks. Local providers have frequently criticized the complexity of the state’s background check process when transitioning staff between school-year and summer programs. Sununu argued that removing specific federal constraints and waivers would ease staffing shortages.

They’ve taken away the waivers on background checks, so that you can’t work while you’re going through the application process, and that’s unnecessary, Sununu said, adding that he supports consistent funding for workforce development and the state scholarship program.

Partisan Divides in the 1st District

New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District encompasses Manchester, the Seacoast, and parts of the Lakes Region, housing the majority of the state’s childcare programs. Republican nominee Anthony DiLorenzo addressed the crowd live.

When I personally used childcare, it was shocking how expensive it was, and understandably too, because it’s your kid, DiLorenzo said.

On the Democratic side, Stefany Shaheen—a biotech consultant, former Portsmouth city councilor, and daughter of the retiring senator—highlighted her background co-founding Early Learning New Hampshire in 2003 while her mother served as governor. Shaheen advocated for expanding tax credits, offering free community college to lower workforce entry barriers, and exploring broader healthcare reforms to relieve employer burdens.

With both parties recognizing the economic fragility of the state’s childcare infrastructure, the debate ultimately turns on whether federal expansion or regulatory relief offers the most viable path forward for Granite State families.