Text to be removed highlighted in red.
1 New Section; Child Care Workforce Fund. Amend RSA 126-A by inserting after section 17-a the following new section:
126-A:17-b Child Care Workforce Fund Established.
I. There is hereby established a child care workforce fund to finance recruitment and retention grants for eligible New Hampshire child care employees. The fund shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated to the department of health and human services for the purposes of this section. The department may accept any private, state, or federal moneys for deposit in fund. The state treasurer shall invest the moneys deposited in the fund as provided by law. Interest earned on moneys deposited in the fund shall be deposited into the fund.
II. The department, in consultation with the advisory council on child care established in RSA 126-A:17, shall designate an entity to administer the recruitment and retention grants to eligible child care employers. If an employee is eligible to apply through their employer, and the employer fails to apply within 3 months of the submission of the employee's expense, the employee shall be eligible to apply directly to the department for grant funding.
III. Grants shall be awarded by the designated entity to eligible child care employers for the purposes of staff retention and recruitment. The flexible funding may be used to support an employer on behalf of an individual employee or an eligible individual employee in any of the following ways:
(a) Deposit into an eligible, tax-advantaged health savings account or flexible spending account or individual retirement savings account or retirement plan;
(b) Employee credentialing; continuing education; certificate programs; and payment towards a physical, first-aid certification, CPR certification, background check, or other credentials required for the child care position.
(c) Sign-on and retention incentives and wage increases;
(d) Professional costs such as training, CPR, or memberships in professional organizations;
(e) Child care tuition assistance;
(f) Health, dental, whole life, vision insurance plans, and telemedicine coverage;
(g) Paid time off equivalent; or
(h) Child care tuition discounts or job-related education expenses;
IV. Employers shall apply for direct repayment of proven costs after the expenditure is made.
V. To be eligible for grant funding under this section, the child care employee shall be employed in:
(a) Child care programs operating in New Hampshire with an active child care license or that are license-exempt and enrolled in the department of health and human services child care scholarship program. These programs shall include those who serve children from birth through age 12 and are also referred to as center-based, family-based, early childhood education, early learning, outside of school time, before and after school, and summer camp programs; and
(b) Non-profit and privately-owned center-based and family-based child care programs.
VI. The department shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to administration of the child care workforce fund, including grant application and disbursement procedures, and may use the fund for related administrative costs.
2 New Subparagraph; Dedicated Fund. Amend RSA 6:12, I(b) by inserting after subparagraph (394) the following new subparagraph:
(395) Moneys deposited in the child care workforce fund as established in RSA 126-A:17-b.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2025.
Text to be added highlighted in green.
1 New Section; Child Care Workforce Fund. Amend RSA 126-A by inserting after section 17-a the following new section:
126-A:17-b Child Care Workforce Fund Established.
I. There is hereby established a child care workforce fund to finance recruitment and retention grants for eligible New Hampshire child care employees. The fund shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated to the department of health and human services for the purposes of this section. The department may accept any private, state, or federal moneys for deposit in fund. The state treasurer shall invest the moneys deposited in the fund as provided by law. Interest earned on moneys deposited in the fund shall be deposited into the fund.
II. The department, in consultation with the advisory council on child care established in RSA 126-A:17, shall designate an entity to administer the recruitment and retention grants to eligible child care employers. If an employee is eligible to apply through their employer, and the employer fails to apply within 3 months of the submission of the employee's expense, the employee shall be eligible to apply directly to the department for grant funding.
III. Grants shall be awarded by the designated entity to eligible child care employers for the purposes of staff retention and recruitment. The flexible funding may be used to support an employer on behalf of an individual employee or an eligible individual employee in any of the following ways:
(a) Deposit into an eligible, tax-advantaged health savings account or flexible spending account or individual retirement savings account or retirement plan;
(b) Employee credentialing; continuing education; certificate programs; and payment towards a physical, first-aid certification, CPR certification, background check, or other credentials required for the child care position.
(c) Sign-on and retention incentives and wage increases;
(d) Professional costs such as training, CPR, or memberships in professional organizations;
(e) Child care tuition assistance;
(f) Health, dental, whole life, vision insurance plans, and telemedicine coverage;
(g) Paid time off equivalent; or
(h) Child care tuition discounts or job-related education expenses;
IV. Employers shall apply for direct repayment of proven costs after the expenditure is made.
V. To be eligible for grant funding under this section, the child care employee shall be employed in:
(a) Child care programs operating in New Hampshire with an active child care license or that are license-exempt and enrolled in the department of health and human services child care scholarship program. These programs shall include those who serve children from birth through age 12 and are also referred to as center-based, family-based, early childhood education, early learning, outside of school time, before and after school, and summer camp programs; and
(b) Non-profit and privately-owned center-based and family-based child care programs.
VI. The department shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to administration of the child care workforce fund, including grant application and disbursement procedures, and may use the fund for related administrative costs.
2 New Subparagraph; Dedicated Fund. Amend RSA 6:12, I(b) by inserting after subparagraph (394) the following new subparagraph:
(395) Moneys deposited in the child care workforce fund as established in RSA 126-A:17-b.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2025.