Laura Tatro | Support HB1566

My name is Laura Tatro, and I live in Hebron, New Hampshire. I strongly support HB 1566, because for me, this isn’t an abstract policy issue — it’s something I’ve watched play out in real time, in a real child-care center, with real families who are doing their best. My step-mother owns a small child-care center, and I’ve worked there on and off for years whenever she needs help. I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is for her to keep her doors open, not because she doesn’t have families who need care, but because she simply can’t afford to pay her staff what they truly deserve. She refuses to raise tuition on families who are already stretched thin, and that leaves her constantly trying to balance what’s fair for her workers with what’s possible for parents. It’s heartbreaking to watch her make those choices. Child-care is already one of the biggest expenses families face, and yet the people doing this incredibly important work — caring for our children, shaping their early years, giving them safety and stability — are often paid less than they could make in jobs with far less responsibility. It’s no wonder centers struggle to hire and keep staff. And when they can’t, classrooms close. Families lose care. Parents lose work hours. The ripple effect touches every part of our communities. HB 1566 matters because it gives New Hampshire a way to support the child-care workforce if federal funding falls through. It’s a safety net for the people who show up every day to care for our kids. It’s a way to help centers like my step-mother’s keep qualified staff without pushing families past their breaking point. And it’s a recognition that raising children — and supporting the people who help raise them — is one of the most important investments we can make in our future. The children in these classrooms deserve stability and quality care. The workers deserve fair pay. And parents deserve a system that doesn’t force them to choose between their jobs and their children. HB 1566 helps move us toward that reality. I urge you to pass this bill and give child-care providers, families, and communities the support they desperately need.