Rep. Pappas, Sen. Hassan Introduce Bill to Improve Child Care Access for Working Families

Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (NH) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve access to affordable child care for parents working nontraditional hours. The After Hours Child Care Act would 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 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

“There are many successful child care models that could work for New Hampshire families, and we must expand affordable child care options to meet the needs of parents working all types of jobs and hours,” said Congressman Pappas. “This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would expand existing programs and encourage the establishment of new ones, supporting working parents and strengthening our workforce and economy.” 

“At a time when many families are struggling with high costs, we need to do more to help parents find and afford child care so that they can work and support their families, including when their jobs require early mornings, late nights, or weekend shifts,” said Senator Hassan. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill will help families across New Hampshire and the country access affordable child care that works with their schedules.”  

In communities across America, major industries such as health care, advanced manufacturing, and logistics rely on workers for early morning or late-night shifts, as well as weekend availability. The After Hours Child Care Act would help fill these high-demand roles by removing barriers created by a lack of child care accessibility, especially in rural communities.

If enacted, the After Hours Child Care Act would:

• Expand capacity for an existing child care program to serve families working nontraditional hours
• Support efforts to establish an on-site child care program at a workplace
• Ensure that federal funds supplement current efforts by requiring a 25 percent match
• Require a report every two years on the bill’s effectiveness in improving child care availability