Janet Lucas

Honorable Chair and Committee Members, This may be one of the more baffling bills you encounter in hearings. At a time when there is a significant workforce shortage in childcare, forcing parents to give up employment, thereby costing the state millions of dollars in lost revenue, this bill recommends ending a program to attract and retain more childcare workers! New Hampshire is aging and desperately needs younger workers in direct care of the elderly and disabled in the community setting, which is much less expensive than in nursing institutions. And, surprise, these younger workers have children who need childcare! New Hampshire needs young families to avoid becoming a place where towns can’t hire enough people to sustain emergency services and the elderly are left without human services. It’s time to stop defunding NH into a downward spiral. Vote ITL on HB 1515. Respecctfully, Rep. Janet Lucas Grafton County District 7 House Health Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee New Hampshire Commission on Aging Co-chair, Systems of Care for Healthy Aging in New Hampshire Advisory Council