SB608

Family caregivers are the invisible backbone of society and need more support!

As the parent of a child with significant special needs, and a social worker who has supported family foster care, I strongly support this bill.

As a licensed social worker in this state since 2002, I support this bill. Shrinking federal dollars have resulted in limited Medicaid reimbursement and your conservative colleagues in this legislature make the situation worse for many underserved individuals. We know this is what you want, to allow underserved people to suffer while wealthy people carry on just fine. People will die, however, if you do not pony up some funds to help family caregivers. Do the right thing and act human, in the manner that your constituents hoped you would act when they voted for you. Otherwise, they may just vote you out.

I could not work when I cared for my mother in the last year of her life between 2013-14. I went into huge debt over the years as I could not catch up. Please pay caregivers to support their families and themselves. It is imperative.

I work with children as a behavioral health clinician and the number of kin who care for them who are not their parents is astonishing and heart warming but such a difficult task. It serves the state, our society and these children when we give resources to these caregivers. I support this bill and I vote! Thank you, Shanna Griffin, LICSW

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of NH, I can tell you the real impact of caregivers having the necessary resources available to them. "Help the Helpers" is how I look at this. Many of our citizens are faced with the prospect of having to help a loved one with needs, often at their own physical, mental and emotional peril. Let's continue to "Help the Helpers" and help families caring for children. It's a win-win. Thank you

As a grandparent currently raising two grandchildren, I strongly support this bill, and the additional supports it will provide caregiver families.

Grandparents and Kinship Caregivers need to have assistance with child care. These are caregivers who have stepped up to raise their grandchildren in their retirement years. There is substantial research which shows children feel more secure when raised by kinship family members vs in foster care. Please support SB608 so that these families have a way to access childcare even when the caregiver is retired.

I have a family member taking care of their spouse with dementia. They need all the resources and support available to them.

Just when someone has reached the age of retirement, they suddenly learn of a child in need of care, in need to be raised. This could be their grandchild, another related family member, or what is called "fictive" kin, someone non-related in the same amount of need. The person about to retire or already retired could say no and the child would enter the foster care system but they say yes. They haven't raised children in thirty or more years in some cases but they say yes. The need and deserve all the support NH can manage to provide. The fact that they so willingly give up their golden years to help a child grow is inspiring. Child rearing has changed a lot in the last few decades as well so they may need help and support to make it happen. They also likely have not budgeted for raising a child...or children...again. They also save the system money because placement is more costly. Please support SB608. Thank you for your work on behalf of the citizens of the state of NH!

I support this bill for the benefit of NH residents.

I am a mom to 6 griwn children and three beautiful step daughters. My middle son that will be 39 in June of this year, happened to be born with Diwn Syndrime. It can be hard enough now a days to raise a family, but to have a family member that might extra help can be exhausting to find all the resources you need to help said child. Im very driven when comes to my children, but some famlies do not have the energy to do this. It is very important to help falmlies get the training to help thier famlies. Is it more cost effective to have famlies help thier famlie me bers or put children in residential settings ???? I can tell you as I work for Easterseals in Manchester as a Para. Famlies need help and quality resources to help with thier children. One final question is it more cost effected to help famlies support at home or ship children to residential school and placements? You decide and make the right choice. It does take a community to raise a supported well cared for children with all differnt ablities weather medical or nerodevelopmental delayed. Thank you for your time Wendie Savage

Family caregivers under stress need you help - pass 608

Dear Members of the Committee, I am writing on behalf of the Special Needs Support Center in strong support of Senate Bill 608. At SNSC, we work alongside individuals with disabilities and their families across the Upper Valley every day. We see firsthand both the strength of family caregivers and the growing strain placed upon them. Family caregivers are often described as the backbone of our care system. In reality, they are more than that. They are the entire system for many individuals with disabilities. Unlike some caregiving situations that are temporary or tied to aging, many individuals with disabilities require support across their entire lifespan. This means that caregiving is not a season. It is a lifelong responsibility. Parents, siblings, and extended family members often provide care not just for years, but for decades. At the same time, New Hampshire is experiencing a severe shortage of paid caregivers. This shortage is not abstract. It is showing up in very real ways: Individuals going without needed support Families filling gaps with little or no respite Parents aging while still providing full time care for adult children Increased risk of burnout, crisis, and institutionalization When there are not enough paid caregivers, the burden shifts even more heavily onto families. And while families step up in extraordinary ways, they cannot and should not be expected to carry this responsibility alone. We regularly hear from families who are exhausted, isolated, and deeply concerned about the future. They are asking urgent questions: Who will care for my loved one when I no longer can How do I continue to provide this level of care without support What happens when the system cannot meet these needs Senate Bill 608 is a critical step in recognizing and supporting the essential role that family and kinship caregivers play in New Hampshire. By strengthening supports for caregivers, this bill will: Help sustain families who are providing long term and often lifelong care Reduce burnout and improve caregiver well being Stabilize care for individuals with disabilities Prevent more costly and less desirable outcomes, including institutional care Most importantly, it acknowledges a fundamental truth: Caregiving is not optional for many families. It is essential. And it must be supported. At SNSC, we believe in a community where everyone belongs. That includes ensuring that individuals with disabilities have the support they need to live safely and meaningfully in their communities, and that the caregivers who make that possible are not left to do it alone. We urge you to support Senate Bill 608. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Dr. Kendra LaRoche Executive Director Special Needs Support Center

Honorable Chair DeSimone and Members of the Committee, Caregivers face many challenges and often lack the resources and support needed to sustain their critical work. This can take a significant toll on their physical, mental, and financial well-being. Strengthening caregiver support not only protects caregivers’ health but also helps keep families together and can delay or prevent the need for more costly care options. As a mother, caregiver, and community advocate, I know how much families rely on support systems to keep going. Having cared for my daughter through complex medical needs, I understand both the love and the weight that comes with caregiving, and how critical it is to have the right supports in place. I have also seen how much is asked of grandparents and relative caregivers, who step in to provide stability and care, often without the resources they need. This bill would improve access to affordable child care for grandparents and other relatives raising children. It ensures that adults of retirement age (67+) are no longer required to work to qualify for the NH Child Care Scholarship Program. Please support SB608 and help expand access to affordable child care for grandparents and relative caregivers. Respectfully, Wendy Chase

i am a hospice medical director. i see most of my families struggling with caregiving as they age and try to stay home. families are unable to give adequate care since they work and can not afford caregivers that range from 30-60 an hour or do not or can't afford moving to a nursing home or assisted living. families are being forced to give poor care or moving families against th with desires to g et care, please support

I believe this will improve family stability and health outcomes

I am a career early childhood educator, and I think this bill is valuable

This bi-partisan Bill will give family caregiver support in certain programs and child care support for kinship caregivers.

As a former caregiver, services available to caregivers are critical. Education, resources, and protection from burnout are critical. Would you want the surfaces for your caregiver when you need one? Do the right thing.

SB 608 tackles two issues that are needed to help family and kinship caregivers continue to play a vital role in home and community-based care for individuals who qualify for certain Medicaid waiver programs:: supportive services in the form of education, training, and counseling for these caregivers and improved access to affordable child care for grandparents and other family members who are raising children. SB 608 will improve the quality of life of caregivers and the family members who benefit from their care, support more affordable home- and community-based health care and reduce the need for much more expensive institutional care. Please support SB 608 by voting Ought to Pass.

Testimony in Support of SB 608 – Family and Kinship Caregivers Priscilla Matos Chair and Members of the Committee, My name is Priscilla Matos, and I am writing in strong support of SB 608. Through both my professional work in the recovery community and my personal experience working alongside individuals and families navigating complex systems of care, I have seen firsthand how critical family and kinship caregivers are. These caregivers—often grandparents, relatives, or close family friends—step in during some of the most difficult moments in a child’s life. They do this out of love and necessity, often with little to no formal support. SB 608 is a meaningful step toward recognizing and supporting these caregivers. By expanding access to services such as counseling, education, and training, this bill helps ensure that caregivers are not left to figure everything out on their own. When caregivers are supported, children are more stable, families are stronger, and outcomes improve across the board. In my work, I have seen how lack of access to resources—especially affordable child care—can create overwhelming barriers. Caregivers are often balancing employment, recovery, financial strain, and the emotional weight of stepping into a parenting role unexpectedly. Without support, even the most dedicated caregivers can struggle to maintain stability. This bill does more than provide services—it invests in prevention. It helps keep children connected to family, reduces the need for more costly interventions later, and strengthens communities by supporting those who are already doing the hard work. Supporting kinship caregivers is not just compassionate policy—it is practical, cost-effective, and necessary. I respectfully urge you to support SB 608. Thank you for your time and consideration. Priscilla Matos

Please support this bill with your vote as my representative. Providing the ability for families to care for their dependents is especially critical in these times of reduced support. Thank you for your time and efforts -- very much appreciated.

As a SHIP Counselor for seven years and now a Senior Medicare Patrol Specialist in the state of NH I have had alot of experience working with older adults, people with disabilities and veterans. I have witnessed first hand how caregivers struggle to make ends meet while trying to provide care. Most caregivers are also working and trying to do the job of caregiving at the same time for the ones they love. Thank you so much for providing your support for SB 608.

I serve on a a YMCA Board. At the Y of Greater Londonderry we have a wonderful program called PASTA (Parenting a Second Time Around), which is a kinship/guardian childcare navigation and support program. These guardians are unable to work and also take care of the children left in their care. They are mostly older, and caring for children at a more mature age requires so much from them physically, mentally, and in terms of their limited financial resources. They need as much financial, practical, and social support as possible, and the children depend on them having the resources and tools to in order to have healthy futures. Please vote in the affirmative for this bill and prioritize supporting the caregivers as well as children in need of care, most often due to their parent's inability to care for them due to addiction, substance misuse, or mental health challenges.