Senator Shaheen Meets with Child Care Officials in Coos County; Visits Tin Mountain Conservation Center in Albany

Left: Shaheen at the Gorham Community Learning Center. Right: Shaheen visiting the Tin Mountain Conservation Center.

(Washington, DC) – This week, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited the Gorham Community Learning Center to discuss the state of child care in Coos County. Shaheen toured the facility and heard from stakeholders about the difficulties facing families and providers in the North Country.

“Affordable, accessible child care should be attainable for every family and it is essential for economic development. Over the past few years, I’ve visited child care centers across New Hampshire and have seen closed classrooms and strained facilities in every part of our state,” said Senator Shaheen. “We’ve seen that the North Country has been hit particularly hard by this crisis, which is why I was glad to meet with teachers from Gorham Community Learning Center and regional stakeholders to discuss the challenges families in the area face in accessing reliable child care and the needs of the child care sector. I will continue to be a strong advocate for delivering the federal resources needed to close the child care gap in our state.”

"Child care is one of those pivotal pieces that support every community and every workforce, right alongside the highest priorities like housing. The North Country has been feeling the pinch of both. Coos County has been piloting initiatives to alleviate the childcare crisis, and even so we had 3 more centers close within the first three months of 2023. Each child care center closing creates a growing stressor within our communities and families, and Coos County is not alone in this. This is a NH-wide problem, and we need to strive for a state-wide solution to create the sustainable, diverse, and equitable childcare landscape that NH communities deserve. Senator Shaheen has been an ongoing support to the childcare sector throughout this crisis, and we are truly thankful that she continues to champion our voice within our own state and all the way to the national stage," said Airole Warden, Project Manager, Coos County Director Network.

Senator Shaheen recently penned an op-ed in the Berlin Daily Sun highlighting challenges facing families and providers in New Hampshire’s North Country.

In the Senate, Shaheen has been a champion for funding to support child care and early education. Earlier this year, Shaheen joined U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in reintroducing the Childcare Workforce and Facilities Act to address the national shortage of affordable, quality child care, especially in rural communities. In the government funding bill for fiscal year (FY) 2023, Senator Shaheen worked to include a $1.86 billion increase to $8.02 billion for Child Care and Development Block Grants to states, as well as a $960 million increase to Head Start, funding the program at nearly $12 billion for FY 2023. The new law additionally includes an increase of $25 million to $315 million for Preschool Development Grants. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led efforts in Congress to assist the child care sector. In the emergency COVID-19 relief legislation that passed Congress and was signed into law in 2020 and the American Rescue Plan, Shaheen successfully included language that provided $50 billion in urgently needed support for child care.

Later that day, Shaheen visited Tin Mountain Conservation Center in Albany, where she learned about environmental education programs taking place at the center and addressed her work in the Senate to protect natural resources, invest in clean energy and confront climate change.

“I was thrilled to join campers and staff today at the Tin Mountain Conservation Center to learn more about their exciting program to educate young people on the importance of preserving our natural environment and building a more sustainable future,” said Senator Shaheen. “New Hampshire is home to some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the country. I’m proud to see educational programs like these encouraging the next generation of Granite Staters to be thoughtful stewards our natural resources.”

Senator Shaheen has long worked to secure federal investments in clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives. Shaheen was a key supporter of the historic climate bill – the Inflation Reduction Act – which was signed into law last year and invests resources into climate resiliency efforts. Senator Shaheen was a lead negotiator of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which provided a $550 billion investment in our nation’s core infrastructure priorities – including renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Within the IIJA, Shaheen successfully included key provisions of her energy efficiency bill – the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC) – with former Senator Rob Portman (R-OH).   

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