New Hampshire, a relatively small state in terms of size and population, still maintains a relatively large number of children and families residing inside its borders, with about six percent of the population being children under the age of four. Of the 156000 families in the state, about 26 percent are single-parent families, and about eight percent are impoverished. The need for child care services in New Hampshire is great, and the state has made great efforts to resolve this need.
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Of about 58000 total children under the age of six who require child care services, about 42000 live in a two-parent household where both parents work, while about 16000 live in a single-parent household with that parent working also. Working mothers, obviously, require affordable childcare, with about 9,000 mothers having infants and 25000 having children under the age of six.
With so many working parents and children in the state, New Hampshire has done its best to accommodate their needs affordably. There are 870 centers for child care services, in addition to 513 family care center homes. Combined, these institutions can provide for a total of about 47500 children, accounting for a total of about 77% of the state’s youth population.
With regard to the national averages, the cost of these institutions is fairly high, with the annual cost of sending an infant to a child care center being about $10,900, as compared with the cost of sending a 4-year-old child, which is $8750. For family care child homes, the average is slightly lower, at about $8200 for an infant and $7500 for a 4-year-old. Ironically, this is not substantially lower than the cost of sending a student to a public university, which rests slightly higher at an average of about $12000.
For the average income of a married couple, this accounts for 12% of their yearly salary; for a single-parent, this accounts for about 37% of his or her income. With the costs of caring for a child rising nationwide, it is no wonder that 5000 families, 7200 children, and 2451 service providers receive financial assistance with paying for child care.
For the 2570 total individuals working in the child care service industry in New Hampshire, the average salary lies slightly lower than the national level at about $20400. By providing about 532 training sessions annually, it is clear that New Jersey is doing its best to make sure that the children within its borders are properly looked after.
