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DHHS | Early Childhood Newsletter

December 2025

Food Access Resources in New Hampshire

Want to help ensure families have access to food this holiday season and beyond? Here are a few meaningful ways to support New Hampshire communities:

• Connect families with federal nutrition programs like SNAP or WIC. Visit the DHHS Food and Meals Assistance page to learn more.
• Encourage SNAP recipients to double their food dollars at a Winters Farmer Market or at a participating Double Up Food Bucks retail location. Find participating at granitestatemarketmatch.org. 
• Check with a local food pantry, Community Action Program, Meals on Wheels, or soup kitchen to see if they are offering meals or other holiday favorites at their locations.
• Share mobile food pantry or market locations in your area.
• If you're able, donate your time by volunteering or dropping off food or funds to a local food pantry, soup kitchen, or other non-profit serving your community.

Community Resource Highlight

2-1-1 New Hampshire 211 New Hampshire provides individuals and families with centralized, up-to-date information on services and supports available throughout New Hampshire. Because resource availability and program details may change frequently, contact 211 NH directly to receive tailored assistance from trained information and referral specialists. To ensure the accuracy of information shared with callers, service providers are asked to review and update their 211 NH profiles on a regular basis. Maintaining current and complete profiles supports the statewide system’s ability to offer reliable, timely guidance to residents seeking assistance. To learn more about 211 NH, click the link below.

Training for Early Care and Education Providers

Open Office Hours - Part C and Part B Special Education Services

DHHS and the New Hampshire Department of Education are hosting bi-monthly open office hours to support providers and families navigating the transition from Part C early intervention services to Part B special education services. Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides early intervention services in a home-based setting to children from birth to age 3. At age 3 children transition to Part B, which provides school-based special education services for children ages 3 to 21. The next office hours is Friday, December 19 from 11:45-12:30. Click the Teams link below to join the meeting.

Registration Open - New Hampshire Early Childhood Convening

Registration for the New Hampshire Alliance of Early Childhood Coalition's next convening is now open. Learn, share, and connect with people who support children’s behavioral health across home, community, school, and child care settings. Topics will focus on behavioral health models and the resources available to New Hampshire children and their families. Date: January 26, 2026 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Location: 1 Delta Dental Drive, Concord, NH 03301 For more information and to register, click the link below.

About This Newsletter

The Council for Thriving Children, established in 2020 by Executive Order 2020-03, serves as New Hampshire’s statewide advisory council on early childhood care and education. The Council is informed by four main quadrants: the DHHS Early Childhood Integration Team (ECIT), New Hampshire Department of Education (NHED) ECIT, Birth through 8 Family and Community Advisors, and Early Childhood Scientific Advisory Panel.  

This newsletter provides regular updates from the Council and ECIT's on the many programs, workgroups, and initiatives happening to strengthen early childhood families.