Shaheen Continues “Affordability Action Tour” with Child Care Affordability Roundtable in Keene; Highlights Federal Funding She Secured for Keene State College, Renovations to Hancock Fire Station

(Keene, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH),a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies (Ag-FDA) Subcommittee, as part of herongoing “Affordability Action Tour,”led a roundtable in Keene focused on efforts to bring down skyrocketing child care costs in the Granite State and the importance of federal investment to increasing access to child care. Following the roundtable, Shaheen traveled to Keene State College’s Optics Lab and the Hancock Fire Station to highlight federal funding she secured for renovations to both facilities.
Photos from today’s events can be foundHERE.
Shaheen began the day at the Keene Day Care Center, where she led a roundtable alongside providers and local officials focused on increasing access to quality, affordable child care in the Granite State. At the roundtable, Shaheen discussed policy solutions to grow the child care workforce in New Hampshire, lower costs and increase federal investment to provide real relief to families feeling stretched by high prices. The Keene Day Care Center wasawarded$892,847 in funding from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), which Shaheen haslong championedduring her time in the Senate. Shaheen was joined by Rise for Baby and Family, which also received NBRC funding, Keene State College and Monadnock United Way, which received $1,000,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending from Shaheen to support the region’s childcare workforce.
“In New Hampshire, we’ve seen child care costs soar—with the average price for full-time care for an infant and four-year old nearing thirty thousand dollars. For families struggling under the weight of high prices thanks to President Trump’s disastrous economic policies, this is not sustainable,”said Senator Shaheen. “Access to affordable, reliable child care is vital to Granite State families, our workforce and the overall economic development of communities throughout the state. I appreciated the opportunity to hear firsthand from providers and educators and will continue working on commonsense solutions to lower child care costs in our state.”
Senator Shaheen continues to be a firm advocate for quality, affordable child care. Earlier this year, Shaheen secured key priorities in the bipartisanDepartments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriationsbill,including $8.8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Shaheen also stands strongly opposed to the Trump Administration’sattacks on Head Start,and has introduced legislation to respond to the nation’s child care shortage, including her signature, bipartisanExpanding Child Care for Military Families Act.
Following the roundtable, Shaheen travelled to Keene State College, where she toured the College’s Optics Lab and heard from university administrators, professors and business leaders about ongoing efforts to expand specialized training opportunities for ultra-precision manufacturing, optics and thin film coatings. In 2024, Shaheensecured $3 millionin Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for the expansion project, which will support infrastructure improvements, curriculum development and the acquisition of more specialized equipment.
“In Keene and across the country, optics manufacturing is a thriving industry, and it is essential that we build a skilled workforce who can fill critical high-end manufacturing roles in the field,”said Senator Shaheen.“Keene State is a leader in high-end precision optics training, and I was proud to secure federal funding to support its efforts to expand in this important field, which provides Granite State students with the hands-on experience and skills they need to enter the workforce with confidence.”
Senator Shaheen has long championed efforts to open doors to higher education access, especially as the Trump Administration has recklessly slashed critical federal funding for education programs in the Granite State. In September of last year, Shaheen led the New Hampshire Congressional delegation in calling on the U.S. Department of Education torestore Congressionally approvedfunding for the Education Alliance for New Hampshire’s Statewide Family Engagement Center grant, TRIO grants for the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Talent Search and McNair programs and the state’sGaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs(GEAR UP).
Senator Shaheen ended the day in Hancock where she visited the Hancock Fire Station, met with the Fire Department and town officials and learned more about planned renovation efforts to the station. Shaheen secured $600,000 in CDS for the project in the bipartisanFY 2026 government funding legislation. The renovations will modernize the firehouse and improve station functionality to decrease response times and improve safety for Hancock’s first responders.
“New Hampshire’s firefighters work day in and day out to keep Granite Staters safe—it's a great privilege to help fire departments across the state get the federal resources they need to respond to emergencies,”said Senator Shaheen.“It was great to stop by the Hancock Fire Station to see how Congressionally Directed Spending I secured is going to be used to update the station, improving the health and safety of firefighters and the entire Hancock community.”
As Ranking Member of the Ag-FDA Appropriations Subcommittee and a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen has consistentlysecured resourcesto support New Hampshire’s first responders. In theFY 2026 government funding bills, Shaheen secured language to support ongoing research to identify a firefighter’s relative risk of exposure to PFAS released from their protective gear. Shaheen has also pushed back against Trump Administration policies that make it harder for first responders to keep communities safe, including calling for the resumption of life-savingfirefighter trainingsand an end to ahiring freeze on seasonal firefighters.
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