North Country childcare programs face funding gaps, staff shortages

Northern New Hampshire's childcare landscape is sparse, with only about 35 licensed early education and out-of-school programs serving the region north of the White Mountains, known as the North Country. Many families live in what experts call a 'childcare desert', an area with at least three young children for every licensed slot. According to the Center for American Progress, 46 percent of New Hampshire children fall into that category, on par with the national average.

Gale River Cooperative Preschool in Bethlehem, located on the grounds of Copper Cannon Camp, serves 30 children ages 3 to 5. Director Nicole McKay said families range from middle-class to those 'just making it happen,' often without a car. The preschool offers on-site occupational and speech therapy to address long waitlists. 'For some families, this is the only thing [their children] are doing,' McKay said.

Further north, The Country Day School in Colebrook is the only program for the northwestern corner of Coos County. Director Katie Hopps noted that families come from as far as Pittsburg and Vermont, and the nearest alternative is over 40 minutes away. 'If you live four miles out of town, you're hoping that your pal is going to give you a ride into town,' Hopps said.

Programs struggle with funding as pandemic-era grants expire. Lisa Sargent, executive director of Tamworth Preschool and Children's Center, said town budget cycles don't align with the school year, making it hard to secure consistent support. The state's Child Care Scholarship program absorbs most state funds, leaving providers with thin margins. Chris Emond, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Central and Northern New Hampshire, oversees 20 afterschool programs and 13 early-learning centers serving about 2,400 children across the region.

NEK will be looking into how state Child Care Scholarship funding is distributed across the North Country and whether current licensing capacity data reflects actual availability.

Originally reported by the Caledonian Record.

Photo: Yan Krukau via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.