Senate passes bill that would allow retired grandparents to receive NH child care scholarship funds

The New Hampshire Senate voted to pass a bill Thursday that would allow retired grandparents to receive funds from the Child Care Scholarship Program without having to re-enter the workforce.

Sen. David Watters, a Dover Democrat, during a Senate session on Jan. 29, 2026. Watters is the prime sponsor of a bill that allows kinship guardians to access the Child Care Scholarship Program. (Photo by Maya Mitchell/New Hampshire Bulletin.)

The scholarship helps eligible families subsidize the cost of child care by paying a portion of their tuition directly to a child’s provider. Currently, to be eligible, a parent or guardian must be employed, actively seeking employment, in school, or enrolled in a training program.