Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's Child Care Scholarship covers families up to 220% FPG at entry, 250% FPG at the Graduated Phase Out tier (redetermination only), capped overall at 85% State Median Income. No state pre-K and no state Child & Dependent Care Credit.
Data current as of June 17, 2026
See what you'd actually pay
Enter your income and household size to get an instant estimate of your copay, tax credits, and total savings in New Hampshire.
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in New Hampshire
- Program name
- New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship Program (CCSP)
- Administered by
- New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bureau of Child Development & Head Start Collaboration
- Income ceiling
- Tier 1 (initial entry): household gross income at or below 220% of the federal poverty guideline. Tier 2 (Graduated Phase Out, GPO): above 220% FPG and at or below 250% FPG, available at redetermination only (per NH DHHS FAM Rule 915). On top of those tiers, an overall 85% State Median Income cap applies (Step 3 on NH DHHS Form 2532 — ~$124,595 annual for a family of four, effective July 1, 2025). The 85% SMI overall cap was added in January 2024 under the SFYs 2024–2025 State Budget; the underlying 220%/250% FPG tier structure was not replaced.
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding-scale family cost share paid weekly directly to the provider, with three tiers per NH Fiscal Policy Institute: (1) families at or below 100% FPG pay no cost share; (2) families above 100% and at or below 138% FPG pay $5 per week; (3) families above 138% FPG pay up to 7% of annual household income, divided by 52 weeks. Providers may also bill the difference between their full tuition and the state Weekly Standard Rate.
- Waitlist status
- No typical waitlist — No active waitlist as of 2026. NH Fiscal Policy Institute and DHHS have flagged possible waitlist risk through mid-2027 if state funding doesn't expand. If a waitlist were activated, Priority 1 would be families at or below 100% FPG plus siblings of currently enrolled children (DHHS rule 903.01).
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Tier 1 initial-entry ceiling (annual, 220% FPG) | Overall 85% SMI cap (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $44,968 | $84,725 |
| 3 | $56,804 | $104,660 |
| 4 | $68,640 | $124,595 |
| 5 | $80,476 | $144,530 |
| 6 | $92,312 | $164,465 |
| 7 | $104,148 | $168,203 |
| 8 | $115,984 | $171,941 |
- Tier 1 initial-entry ceiling (annual, 220% FPG): 220% of the 2024 HHS federal poverty guidelines (the FAM Rule 915 administrative ceiling for new applicants). Calculated from 2024 FPL; verify exact amounts with NH DHHS Form 2532.
- Overall 85% SMI cap (annual): 85% of NH State Median Income per BCDHSC Form 2532, Step 3 ceiling effective July 1, 2025 (SR 25-21 update). This is an overall program cap, not a per-tier figure — it sits above the 220%/250% FPG tier structure. Family-of-4 amount ($124,595/yr) is published directly on Form 2532; family-of-3 ($104,660/yr) confirmed via NHFPI.
NH DHHS Child Care Scholarship Program — current table is BCDHSC Form 2532, effective July 1, 2025 per State Register SR 25-21. Form 2532 publishes per-family-size income figures (sizes 1 through 8) across three Steps: Step 1 (at or below 100% FPG), Step 2 (above 100% and at or below 138% FPG), and Step 3 (above 138% FPG and at or below 85% SMI). On top of those Steps, the program applies two administrative tier boundaries inside FAM Rule 915: 220% FPG (initial-entry ceiling) and 250% FPG (Graduated Phase Out ceiling, redetermination only). The two columns below show those administrative tier ceilings — Column 1 calculated from 220% of the 2024 HHS federal poverty guidelines, Column 2 the published 85% SMI figures from Form 2532 (the overall cap that sits above the GPO tier). Dollar amounts rounded to the nearest dollar. Family-of-1 row omitted because the program requires a dependent child. For exact per-Step figures used for cost-share calculations, see Form 2532 at dhhs.nh.gov. Effective July 1, 2025; check the state portal for the latest figures.
State pre-K in New Hampshire
New Hampshire does not currently operate a state-funded pre-K program. Eligible families may still qualify for Head Start or Early Head Start.
State tax credits & extras in New Hampshire
- State CDCC
- New Hampshire does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. New Hampshire has no broad-based personal income tax (the Interest and Dividends tax was fully repealed effective 2025). The federal CDCC (claimed on IRS Form 2441) is the only income-tax-based child care credit New Hampshire families can use. New 2026 state credits (HB 1433 Child Day Care Creation Tax Credit, SB 654 On-Site Child Care Tax Credit) are business-side only — not parent-claimable.
Where to apply or get help in New Hampshire
- Find a licensed daycare in New HampshireChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- New Hampshire child care portalwww.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/childcare-parenting-childbirth/child-development-and-head-start
- New Hampshire 211 (dial 2-1-1)www.211nh.org/
- NH Connections — statewide Child Care Resource & Referralwww.nh-connections.org/
- NH Child Care Workforce — nhchildcare.orgnhchildcare.org/
- Federal childcare.gov — New Hampshire resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/new-hampshire
Find a daycare in New Hampshire
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse New Hampshire's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse New Hampshire daycaresSources
- New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship Program — DHHS
- NH DHHS Form 2532 — Child Care Scholarship Income Eligibility Levels (effective July 1, 2025) (2025)
- NH DHHS State Register SR 25-21 — Effective July 1, 2025 (2025)
- NH Fiscal Policy Institute — Child Care Scholarship usage increased 21% in first half of 2024 (confirms 85% SMI ceiling) (2024)
- NH Fiscal Policy Institute — Maximum family cost share capped at 7% of household income (confirms three-tier cost share) (2024)
- NH DHHS FAM Rule 915 — NH Child Care Scholarship Program Criteria (defines 220%/250% FPG tier structure)
- NH Fiscal Policy Institute — Child Care Scholarships reach more families (confirms January 2024 implementation of 85% SMI) (2024)
- NIEER 2024 Yearbook — New Hampshire (no state pre-K) (2024)
- Federal childcare.gov — New Hampshire resources
Every state layers its own program on top of a federal floor — CCDF (the federal block grant), Head Start, the federal DCFSA (employer pre-tax benefit), and the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit. See the federal overview for what the floor looks like before any state adds.