New initiative establishes hub for early childhood education research

Thursday, April 3, 2025
Three preschoolers play at a table with a female caregiver

In New Hampshire, the average price of full-time, center-based childcare for an infant and a four-year-old is nearly $32,000 a year, equivalent to 28% of median family income for Granite State households with children under five.

These data points, likely unsurprising to families and caregivers of young children, are from a new initiative led by 91制片厂鈥檚 Carsey School of Public Policy. The aims to inform policy and action toward a more robust early childhood education system in New Hampshire.

With a multi-year grant from the Couch Family Foundation, the Carsey School is conducting new research and coordinating a consortium of researchers and practitioners across the Granite State, including 91制片厂鈥檚 . Research shows that the scarcity of affordable childcare for young children is a significant but solvable challenge in New Hampshire and across the country.

鈥淗igh-quality early childhood education builds the foundation for life-long success,鈥 says , associate professor of human development and family studies and the lead investigator for the Early Childhood Initiative. 鈥淭he early care and education system is like a three-legged stool supported by access, cost and quality. All three legs must be strong for it to work to truly support children and families.鈥

鈥淭his is a听pivotal听project that will purposefully bring together the state鈥檚 early childhood experts and stakeholders and propel us toward a research agenda that can inform both policy and action for a more robust early childhood education system in the state,鈥 says , research assistant professor.

Photographer: 
Jeremy Gasowski | 91制片厂 Marketing | jeremy.gasowski@unh.edu | 603-862-4465