Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's Child Care Scholarship covers families up to 220% FPG at entry and up to 250% FPG at the Graduated Phase Out tier, anchored to 85% SMI. No state pre-K (NH is one of six states without one) and no state Child & Dependent Care Credit.
Data current as of May 21, 2026
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% up to 250% FPG — only available at redetermination, not at initial entry. Overall ceiling anchored at 85% State Median Income.
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding-scale family cost share paid weekly directly to the provider, calculated as a percentage of household income (DHHS guidance example: roughly 7% of annual income for a family of three at $80,000, 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).
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 New Hampshire has no broad-based personal income tax (the Interest and Dividends tax was fully repealed effective 2025).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
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.