The following is a roundup of news from and regarding New Hampshire’s Congressional Delegation.
Shaheen Launches ‘Investing in the American Worker’ Kitchen Table Tour
On Friday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) launched her ‘Investing in the American Worker’ Kitchen Table Tour, which will take her across the state to meet with working families about the pressing issues facing Granite Staters as they recover from the pandemic. During the first stop, Shaheen sat down with the Hobbs family of Hooksett to discuss the shortage of affordable, quality child care in New Hampshire.
Granite State working parents rely on child care providers to educate and care for their children so they can keep their jobs and support their families. However, providers in the state and across the country have been severely impacted by the fallout of the public health and financial crisis, and many are at risk of permanent closure. During her conversation, Shaheen heard from the Hobbs family on how the shortage has impacted them.
“As we turn the corner of the COVID crisis, many families are struggling to find good-paying jobs, afford child care, put food on the table and access quality health care coverage. That’s why I’m launching this Kitchen Table Tour – to hear directly from Granite Staters about what they need to see prioritized in Washington as we look toward the road to recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic,” said Shaheen. “For my first stop on this tour, I sat down with the Hobbs family to discuss the child care crisis. For many working parents like Amanda, access to affordable child care is the difference between being able to return to work and provide for their families or forgoing a job offer. I appreciated Amanda welcoming me into her home so we could sit face-to-face and discuss the hardships she and her family have experienced, which have been shared by so many in New Hampshire and throughout the nation. I’ll take her story with me as we get to work on legislation in the Senate that will invest in the American worker, from child care to health care and more. I look forward to continuing this tour and hearing from Granite Staters in the weeks and months ahead.”
Hassan discusses HCBS with local experts
Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), gathered local experts to discuss the importance of home- and community-based services, child care, and paid family leave.
In particular, she talked about the Better Care Better Jobs Act. This legislation would invest in home- and community-based services (HCBS) by expanding access to quality home care services and lifting up the caregiving workforce that provides them.
“Many seniors and individuals with disabilities depend on Home- and Community-Based Services to help them thrive and engage in their community,” said Hassan. “We must significantly invest in HCBS, not only to strengthen the quality of at-home care, but also in order to increase caregivers’ wages and address the home health care workforce shortage. This bill will do just that, and I will continue advocating for this important issue.”
More information about the Better Care Better Jobs Act can be found here.
Senators announce federal aid for disabled students
Hassan and Shaheen announced on Friday that New Hampshire will receive more than $11.7 million to help address the unique needs of students who experience disabilities in New Hampshire.
“Students who experience disabilities far too often do not receive the support that they are entitled to under the law, and this has been particularly true during the pandemic. That is why I fought to secure dedicated funding in the American Rescue Plan to better support students with disabilities,” Hassan said. “This federal funding to New Hampshire will go a long way to help schools provide much-needed support for students with disabilities and help ensure that these students can make up for learning losses that they experienced during the pandemic. I will continue working to ensure that individuals with disabilities can participate fully in our communities and have the support that they need to thrive.”
“Students with disabilities have faced unique challenges and endured serious hardships with remote learning and hybrid schooling during this pandemic. That’s why boosting funding in the American Rescue Plan to respond to these obstacles and provide assistance to students and schools was so important,” said Shaheen. “This funding is urgently needed in New Hampshire schools, and I urge the State to swiftly get this aid out the door so our kids have the tools they need to succeed and flourish.”
As part of the funding for K-12 education, the American Rescue Plan includes more than $2.5 billion in state grants to support K-12 students with disabilities, $200 million to support preschoolers with disabilities, and $250 million for infants and toddlers under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Senators Hassan and Shaheen had previously pushed for funding specific to students with disabilities, and the American Rescue Plan is the first COVID-19 package to include this type of dedicated funding.