By Shamecca Brown, Granite State News Collaborative, Columnist
The Trump administration recently said it would freeze child care funding nationwide, although only five states so far have been affected, and New Hampshire isn’t one of them. So far.
The idea of even thinking about freezing child care assistance, let alone actually doing it, is shameful. Child care is not a luxury. It is not a “nice to have.” It is a necessity for families who are trying to work, survive and build stability. Freezing access to child care is not just a policy issue, it becomes a daily crisis for parents – especially single mothers, fathers and low-income families.
I know this issue personally, but I also recognize how much worse it has become over time.
I moved to New Hampshire from New York in 2005, at a time when things were not nearly as bad as they are today. While child care assistance wasn’t perfect back then, it was more accessible, and families were not facing the same widespread freezes and closed waitlists that exist now. Applying for child care was still difficult. The paperwork was overwhelming, the process was stressful and the uncertainty was real, but it was possible to navigate.
In 2026, the reality for families looks very different. Families are being shut out entirely, not because they don’t qualify, not because they aren’t trying, but because programs are frozen. Parents are told to wait indefinitely, with no clear timeline and no alternatives. Many never even make it onto a waitlist. This is a level of inaccessibility that did not exist in the same way years ago, and it has left families in crisis.
A child care freeze doesn’t mean families stop needing care. It means parents are forced to make impossible choices. Do you quit your job because you can’t leave your children alone? Do you work unstable hours and hope a friend or family member can help? Do you risk losing housing because your income drops? These are not hypothetical situations, this is real life for families every single day.
Single parents are hit the hardest. When you are raising children on your own, there is no backup parent to step in. No second income to fall back on. No flexibility when child care falls through. Without child care, you can’t work. Without work, you can’t survive.
Low-income families face an added layer of stress. Many are already working multiple jobs, attending school or participating in required programs to keep benefits. Child care freezes create a system where parents are still expected to meet all their obligations, but without the support needed to do so. It becomes a setup for failure.
Moving the finish line
What’s frustrating is that child care assistance is often talked about as temporary help, but in reality, it’s an investment. When parents have reliable child care, they can work consistently, improve their financial situation, and eventually move off assistance. Freezing child care doesn’t save money in the long run, it creates deeper instability, higher unemployment and more families in crisis.
I’ve worked closely with caregivers and families, and I see the same patterns over and over again. Parents want to do better. They show up. They try. But the system keeps moving the finish line. One moment they’re told to get a job, the next they’re told child care isn’t available. One moment they’re encouraged to be self-sufficient, the next they’re blocked by policies outside their control.
Child care freezes don’t just affect parents, they affect the emotional and developmental well-being of children. Children don’t understand funding gaps or state budgets. They understand stress. They understand when their parent is overwhelmed. They understand when routines change, when caregivers disappear, and when stability feels out of reach.
Freezing child care assistance sends a message that families are an afterthought – that parents should “figure it out,” even when the system makes it impossible. But families are the foundation of our communities. Supporting them should never be optional.Child care should not depend on luck, timing or where you live. It should be accessible, consistent and treated as the essential support that it is.
Until that happens, parents will continue to struggle, not because they aren’t trying, but because the system is frozen while their lives are not.
Shamecca Brown is a New Hampshire-based columnist who is family-oriented and passionate about serving underserved communities. These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.