A new state requirement gives daycare providers legal rights to timely scholarship notices—and it could change how you manage enrollment.
Most child care owners in New Hampshire don't realize they now have a legal right to know when a family applies for a scholarship at their program—and to get timely updates on whether that scholarship is approved or denied. That right comes from HB1720, a bill focused on scholarship administration that includes a provision many providers have never heard of.
Under Section 1 of RSA 167:83-a(I), scholarship programs must notify licensed child care providers electronically within 3 days of receiving an application that names the provider as the intended facility. They must also send follow-up notice within 3 business days of any decision—approval, denial, or withdrawal.
This may sound like a small administrative detail. It isn't.
Child care operators live with a chronic problem: families apply for scholarships, you hold a spot for them, and then you hear nothing. Weeks pass. You can't fill that slot with another paying family. You don't know if the scholarship was approved, rejected, or if the application is still sitting in a queue somewhere. Meanwhile, your revenue is tied up in an empty spot.
HB1720 changes that dynamic. Providers now have a legal right to timely, written notice. When a scholarship application names your program, you'll know it within 3 days. When a decision is made, you'll know within 3 business days. That certainty lets you make real decisions: hold the spot with confidence, or release it and enroll another child.
The law also reduces bad-debt risk. If a family's scholarship is denied and you've been holding a spot, you'll know quickly enough to contact the family and discuss payment options before weeks of unpaid care accumulate.
This applies to all licensed child care programs in New Hampshire, including small in-home and center-based operations. If you're licensed and families in your program use state or federally funded scholarships, this law creates obligations for the scholarship administrator—and rights for you.
HB1720 becomes effective 60 days after passage. Implementation costs are projected for fiscal year 2027 only, meaning the administrative burden on scholarship programs should be manageable and temporary.
The specific language is found in Section 1, RSA 167:83-a(I). If you work with families receiving scholarships, it's worth reviewing that section or asking your state licensing representative for clarification on how it applies to your program.
For a free, detailed guide to HB1720 and other recent child care regulations in New Hampshire, contact your local child care trade association or licensing office.