New Hampshire, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 23% (27,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (2022). This number represents a decrease from 254% (29,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
In June of 2023, New Hampshire’s governor signed a biennial budget covering fiscal 2024-2025. The budget provides for appropriations totaling $15.2 billion over two years. According to a summary prepared by the Senate Finance Committee (prior to enactment), this includes General and Education Trust Fund appropriations of $3.10 billion in fiscal 2024 and $3.16 billion in fiscal 2025, reflecting a 7.2 percent annual decline in fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023, followed by a 1.9 percent increase in fiscal 2025 compared to fiscal 2024. The budget is based on combined General and Education Trust Fund revenue estimates of $6.4 billion for the biennium, reflecting 0.5 percent growth in fiscal 2024 followed by a 0.9 percent decline in fiscal 202.3
Largest Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):4
New Hampshire does not levy a general sales tax or individual income tax. Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls.
State Budget Rules:4
New Hampshire uses a biennial budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. There are no further tax and expenditure limits in New Hampshire, nor are there limits on either authorized debt or debt service incurred by the state.
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During the 2024 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Republican.5
Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:6 Two
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:7
Early childhood policy advocacy multi-state initiatives present in the state include4:
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:8
New Hampshire was able to pass a bill SB 404 which will pilot child care for child care workers. Expanding eligibility for child care scholarship to children of child care workers up to 100 percent of State Median Income.
NH passed SB 596 as part of HB 1202, which expands the definition of special needs/disability under the child development block grant to included children diagnosed with developmental delay or disability. This will help to remove barrier for children and support child care centers to take children who may have higher needs.
More about the 2024 Session can be found here.
The Alliance’s lead ally in New Hampshire, New Futures, collects and disseminates critical and reliable state-level data, makes policy recommendations, and provides tools for legislators, public officials, and advocates to advance positive policies for children and families in New Hampshire. The organization trains partners to advocate for strong and proven policies for the future health and prosperity of New Hampshire’s children.
New Futures is working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Preschool and Pre-K
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
Child Health
Home Visiting
Maternal Health
Early Intervention (0-3)
New Futures learned that many coalition partners did not engage in advocacy because many of their funding sources prohibited advocacy or gave unclear guidance on allowed activities. To overcome this barrier, New Futures developed their Advocacy Field Grant program with support from their Alliance for Early Success grant.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 through 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, October 2024, NCCP analysis of ACS 5-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2018-2022.
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024.
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.
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© 2024 Alliance for Early Success
The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.
