Child Care Investments and Policies in the Upper Valley, in the Pandemic and Beyond: 'People Have to Hurry Because This ARPA Funding Isn't Going to Last Forever.' National Issue Brief #168

In this brief, the authors illustrate New Hampshire and Vermont's different responses to supporting the early childhood education and care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the limited publicly available data on pandemic relief funds through the lens of the interstate Upper Valley region. While data limitations preclude the authors from identifying which child care pandemic relief programs worked best and for whom, the authors find spatial and program type differences in relief receipt. Using data from interviews with early childhood educators in the Upper Valley, the authors identify the role that temporary relief funds have played in keeping the sector afloat during the pandemic. While relief funds served the role of "keeping the doors open" for many providers, these short-term funds are unable to address the deep-seated challenges of the sector's unsustainable economic model, a challenge that predated the pandemic and has worsened since. The authors conclude by identifying important policy steps to support the sector in New Hampshire, Vermont, and beyond. [This brief is part of the "Early Childhood in the Upper Valley Series." For the prior brief in this series, "Why Interstate Child Care Scholarship Policy Choices Matter in the Upper Valley: "You Can Only Charge the Families so Much." National Issue Brief #167," see ED629671.]