MERRIMACK – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan visited the Merrimack YMCA Early Education Center to see its recent renovations and hear about the important work that it does to support New Hampshire children and families. As many Granite Staters struggle with high costs, access to affordable, reliable child care remains a challenge – both for hardworking parents who need it to work and support their families, and for businesses struggling to hire and retain workers.
As part of government funding legislation that was recently signed into law, Senator Hassan secured increased funding for programs such as the Child Care and Development Block Grant and Head Start, which help families afford child care and supports centers like the Merrimack YMCA. Senator Hassan also introduced a bipartisan bill to help child care providers expand operating hours and build partnerships with businesses, so that parents can remain in the workforce and provide for their families while working outside of the traditional work hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Read more from the Nashua Telegraph here and New Hampshire Bulletin here or below:
Nashua Telegraph: Hassan tours renovated Early Ed Center at Merrimack YMCA
By Christopher Roberson
MERRIMACK – U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) recently toured the glistening hallways and classrooms of the newly-renovated Early Education Center at the YMCA of Greater Nashua.
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In response to the childcare affordability crisis, Hassan is co-sponsoring the Child Care for Working Families Act, which would expand access to universal preschool and ensure that eligible families pay no more than seven percent of their income on childcare. The additional tuition expenses would be covered by the federal government.
Hassan also said there was a bi-partisan effort to secure federal funding for after-hours childcare.
“It doesn’t matter what your politics are, people need childcare,” she said.
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By Maya Mitchell
Renovations to the largest child care center in New Hampshire have caught the attention of local and national officials.
The Merrimack YMCA Early Education Center, a branch of the YMCA of Greater Nashua, hosted U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan on Monday for a tour, a month after a visit from Gov. Kelly Ayotte for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the end of a two-year renovation project.
As teachers walked children to and from their classrooms for activities, Hassan got a tour of the facility, which hosts the state’s largest licensed program and the YMCA’s largest single-site child care program nationwide, with more than 400 children. She saw new classrooms, freshly painted walls, and new floors.
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During the walkthrough Monday, Hassan discussed the “quiet policy wins” by congressional Democrats this year, including increases in Head Start funding and a bill to fund child care for parents who work nontraditional hours. She said there is bipartisan momentum in Congress to improve child care nationwide, though there is disagreement over funding.
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