[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6644231,"mediaKeyId","2528109-284c11d4ed5b24f5f597b0752f5c0c46","parentId",2528109,"title","Field operations strained by vacancies and aging systems; DHHS seeks prioritized IT and call‑center investments","audioSeconds",2723,"startMs",8017000,"endMs",10740000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2528109-284c11d4ed5b24f5f597b0752f5c0c46&start=8017&end=10740","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2528109-284c11d4ed5b24f5f597b0752f5c0c46/thumbnail_8017000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6644231/New-Hampshire/Field-operations-strained-by-vacancies-and-aging-systems-DHHS-seeks-prioritized-IT-and-callcenter-investments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6644231-ef109350364c99a3e32fdc597c6eb89f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137114&Signature=ncqIxNpfX6ndCr1EgL473FouEVJ~7QFPiZ~2jHcwUG8R6hE1BIRR~O4FMGwWMzat7VDyKmu38lNsI4ORr-czJXZeV1TilxzT9ONlx~7ghg7QYZ1okeS9C2BZIbC8jNxDXRv1ra8-OLnf6U2XzZw2iiLyWiffPscKUz4uzUOEZk3Nrhak0YurRbfX5IqZ7hXJmvRSqD-mssWTCVP1lP5Yh9dCJCMmPavB52bd-LBcBYavdkxIc58wIDXu7p47SIA-2PFU6ZoTBlNd8VmFzKmOWw6qi5DdAH8OtJdN0lpuddULVUglNvA9k44eBzD9CxzigCFpgK6SAQnWTsUeOD5kcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-03-04T06:41:19.75Z","article","Department of Health and Human Services staff told the House Finance Committee on March 3 that the field operations arm of the Bureau of Family Assistance is under significant workload pressure and needs investments in technology and customer service capacity.

\"These folks are processing over 8,000, on average, new applications,\" Karen Hebert said while summarizing field operations workload. She said the bureau also handles roughly 91,000 documents scanned and indexed per month, receives about 29,000 inbound calls monthly through its tier‑1 vendor call center and makes over 26,000 case updates per month.

Officials described two structural challenges: high vacancy and training time, and the need for targeted IT enhancements. The bureau reported a roughly 23% vacancy rate in field operations; many current staff are trainees and the department said it takes nine to 12 months to train new eligibility workers to full competency. Carrie Schroeder, bureau chief for BFA field operations, described a staged training model in which new staff learn programs in sequence and gain responsibility as they prove competency.

New Heights and NH EASY: Adam McCain, project manager for New Heights (the state's integrated eligibility and enrollment system), told the committee the platform now supports about 33,000 active New Hampshire EASY accounts and about one million daily transactions across roughly 1,100 department users. McCain said the MCOs and some external partners have limited read access for specific purposes; most development and system control remains inside the department.

Prioritized needs and proposed investments: DHHS presented a prioritized needs list that included investments to reduce SNAP error rates, improve user experience on the New Hampshire EASY web portal, and stand up an eligibility call center. During the hearing staff identified the eligibility call center as a prioritized need and said it would require funds for staffing and training; slide 36 in the department deck listed an $1.8 million general‑fund request for the call center in the first year of the biennium (department staff later noted the slide totals needed review).

Deloitte engagement and business‑process review: Hebert said the department is working with Deloitte to analyze business models and identify options to shift from a case‑based processing model to a task‑based model where appropriate. The department described a crosswalk of potential business and technology changes aimed at reducing training burdens and increasing throughput.

Why it matters: Committee members said they wanted clearer metrics tying proposed investments to expected productivity gains and potential cost avoidance, such as reduced federal penalty risk or improved SNAP accuracy. Representative Chair comments and members asked for business cases and for the department to provide range estimates (e.g., what smaller investments would buy versus a larger one‑time appropriation).

Next steps: DHHS said it will refine the prioritized needs list, provide business cases and cost‑benefit estimates, and return with revised totals and clarifying documentation. The department also agreed to provide historic workload metrics and vacancy trend lines for committee review.

Ending: The department concluded its Division of Economic Stability presentation noting that the proposed investments and systems changes are intended to reduce processing time, lower error rates and make it easier for clients to apply and keep benefits.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Finance Division III (03/03/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","DHHS told the House Finance Committee on March 3 that field eligibility operations face a roughly 23% vacancy rate, long training times for new staff, and heavy monthly workloads; the department proposed prioritized IT and customer‑service investments to address the strain.","taxTitle","Finance - Division I, House of Representatives, Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",17750,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6644233,"DHHS Tells Finance Panel TANF MOE and Federal-Block Risks Will Need Closer Monitoring",0,4288000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2528109-284c11d4ed5b24f5f597b0752f5c0c46&start=4288&end=4288","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2528109-284c11d4ed5b24f5f597b0752f5c0c46/thumbnail_4288000.jpg","/articles/6644233/New-Hampshire/DHHS-Tells-Finance-Panel-TANF-MOE-and-Federal-Block-Risks-Will-Need-Closer-Monitoring","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6644233-5ae484e40cd8783f0743c14ebb4215b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137114&Signature=WRyqmGNKOyuHOW1MxRdEg2i8XyBTj4FOiPkl2QpnGW865VYlCctSQvutyxpCoCMT8UnKn739LxhiQWELuqO6Al632uokbddZDUAXJxXcWZXXfsJBPjo3gIHUSnKUvg65LILAtatJ5Xo1nvAMe37RCpcDGScT1LDtTQ~TiW2zN2GFpIX-IgF7sgEe-0S8P0ssVeh9gjKX4C8TFx8upsDXvj56Upy2zX8AmFKvnqu4av6DZvUjp-HsinCVrPoUZvSWXw9CNFCh41l4G31OhAYkZxLZLiD4SWJ9UJdCyIZeErmXVL9KT63yruN9KDj~cX~0MjQAgau3lGhZEEfOuqny6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Department of Health and Human Services officials told the House Finance Committee on March 3 that the state must continue meeting federal and state conditions tied to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and the related State maintenance‑of‑effort (MOE) requirement.

\"These funds must be spent on TANF eligible families that meets at least one of the four purposes,\" Karen Hebert, director of the Division of Economic Stability, said, describing TANF block grant composition. Hebert and Nathan White, DHHS chief financial officer, explained that TANF funding in the governor's budget is made up of three parts: the federal block grant, a required state MOE (noted in the presentation as $32 million in general funds), and a carryover TANF balance.

White and Hebert told lawmakers the state currently uses TANF to fund a range of services: cash assistance, employment programs, family resource centers and prevention services, family planning and education programs, and post‑foster‑care reunification efforts. They said the department is considering how to measure outcomes and collect data to evaluate effectiveness.

Department staff warned of the consequences if the state failed to meet its MOE. White explained that the MOE is a statutory maintenance requirement: if the state does not meet MOE spending, it can face reductions and penalties that reduce future federal funds.

Lawmakers pressed for contingency planning. Representative Andrew Wallner asked whether any New Hampshire programs could qualify under TANF purpose number 4 (encouraging formation and maintenance of two‑parent families). Colleen McKinley, from the Bureau of Family Assistance policy unit, said two‑parent eligibility exists in limited circumstances (for example where one parent is incapacitated or disabled) and discussed the operational difficulties of resuming an earlier two‑parent program because of high federal work‑participation requirements.

Committee members voiced interest in numbers that would quantify immediate impacts of federal funding reductions. When Representative Preece asked who would be affected if federal child care block grants were cut, Hebert said the child care scholarship served 4,032 children as of January and noted that, \"if we lost the CCDF fund today would not receive funding to support their child care.\" White added that unused federal CCDF funding in recent years had been reallocated toward quality activities when utilization was low, but if utilization grows the state may need different funding arrangements, including possible TANF transfers.

Why it matters: TANF and CCDF are large funding sources for state family assistance and child care programs, and both include federal rules that constrain how dollars can be used. The committee asked DHHS to assemble better forecasts and contingency scenarios so lawmakers can evaluate trade‑offs as the state finalizes its budget.

Next steps: DHHS said it will provide more detailed numbers on program caseloads and forecasts, and examine whether previously proposed programs (participants asked about a Nebraska model to support two‑parent families) could be adapted to New Hampshire while meeting federal participation rates and other requirements.

Ending: Committee members repeatedly asked the department to return with concrete scenario data showing how many people would be affected under different federal funding reductions, and whether the state could pick up those costs within the current fiscal plan.","Department staff said New Hampshire must meet a $32 million State maintenance‑of‑effort for TANF and flagged that if federal block grants were reduced, thousands of households served by subsidies could lose support; lawmakers pressed for contingency numbers and scenarios.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6644235,"Lawmakers Hear Update on Child Care Subsidies, Providers and a Removed Workforce Grant",13824,912000,14736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2528109-284c11d4ed5b24f5f597b0752f5c0c46&start=912&end=14736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2528109-284c11d4ed5b24f5f597b0752f5c0c46/thumbnail_912000.jpg","/articles/6644235/New-Hampshire/Lawmakers-Hear-Update-on-Child-Care-Subsidies-Providers-and-a-Removed-Workforce-Grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6644235-3618cc433246c8d7d01e3aba9352f104/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137114&Signature=bnUwyb~KnwiYJ~-4h3dv76RruKUDtdztwVeb8YtJe0lcfOa-MJOEXld4KzI3~zQ7VZ8D7AfsAU0~nb584-2jUdYbqFsSF7RGaupBF59cUaCyFmK~a9HvIlPS04~OwnwOlGyahXhWaR~87gTNrtUM2ZISuE5MVtrlUAnuQdPJFWhYSlOAfT4umRpuNPi-prhQ1~0fo7q60coNfxfO6nLHR9ohd3K6TEIfATgdnoDfGZimJeBARzkv9Y-CWL6XTyOb4i1TNQ7FXhsw8HRS0F9wF1i2nWoHLtWLmfgrCJiUzL7rG7SNapPIwBARCl8aiQeOKGezzWNPzBkLjx8iiwHCvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Karen Hebert, director of the Division of Economic Stability at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, told the House Finance Committee on March 3 that the bureau overseeing child care saw a notable rise in program use.

\"45% increase in utilization of what's known as the Child Care Scholarship,\" Hebert said, describing data showing recent growth in the Child Care Assistance/Scholarship program.

The committee heard that, as of January, the department was paying for child care for 4,032 children through the scholarship program. Nathan White, chief financial officer for DHHS, pointed lawmakers to the governor's recommended budget line for the division and answered questions about how the division's general‑fund totals are presented.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed for clearer cost breakdowns because the scholarship program is tied to federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) rules and to a larger state effort to stabilize the child care market. Hebert and staff said federal and state investments during the COVID era (about $171 million in COVID‑era child care funding, as described in the presentation) have been directed at stabilizing supply and supporting providers.

During the presentation Hebert described several supply and quality initiatives: a voluntary quality rating system called Granite Steps for Quality with 60 providers enrolled; about 717 licensed child care programs statewide; and a recent family‑childcare and center expansion example in the North Country, the Gorham Community Learning Center, which serves 49 children.

Committee members repeatedly asked for financial context to match the program outcomes. Representative Rich Malovanko (Cheshire 9) and others asked for historic general‑fund totals and a breakdown showing what share of the division's general funds flow to particular objectives, such as responsible parenting programs, provider quality, or direct subsidies. White directed members to page 885 of the governor's operating budget for summary totals and offered to provide further class‑line breakdowns on request.

Public testimony: Two early‑care advocates testified after the department's briefing. Trina Engelfinger, early care and education policy coordinator at New Futures, said state childcare subsidy investments produce broader economic returns and cited recent research showing state economic losses tied to childcare shortages. \"Every dollar invested in subsidy programs like the childcare scholarship can yield more than a dollar in economic impacts in the year that it is invested,\" Engelfinger told the committee.

Jackie Cowell of Early Learning New Hampshire asked lawmakers to restore a $15 million workforce appropriation that the legislature put in the current biennium but that the governor's recommended budget removes for 2026–27. Cowell said New Hampshire and neighboring states that continued workforce support have seen recruitment and retention benefits, and she asked the committee to consider allowable funding sources to sustain the workforce investment.

What the department said it will do: Hebert and White offered to supply the committee with more specific breakdowns: historic general‑fund totals back to the 2018 consolidation of programs into the Division of Economic Stability, detailed class‑line attribution for examples like the Gorham Community Learning Center, and further data on provider participation in quality initiatives and credential attainment.

Officials also flagged that some items in the division's budget are federal block grants and carry federal spending requirements (for example, minimum shares for quality activities and infant/toddler care) that shape how dollars may be used.

Looking ahead: Committee members asked the department to provide the requested cost‑benefit and historical spending details in follow‑up materials. Several members said they wanted to examine the department's prioritized needs list and the business cases for items such as a proposed eligibility call center and other investments that could improve service delivery or reduce future costs.

Ending: The presentation on child care was one portion of a longer Division of Economic Stability briefing. Committee members asked for follow‑up documents and said they planned additional review during the next steps of the budget process.","Department of Health and Human Services staff told the House Finance Committee the state's Child Care Scholarship use rose 45% in the last year and 4,032 children were served in January; advocates urged restoring a $15 million childcare workforce appropriation that the governor's budget omits.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6644228,"Child Support Office Reports $78 Million Collected Last Year, Serves About 28,000 Families",323,6563000,6886000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2528109-284c11d4ed5b24f5f597b0752f5c0c46&start=6563&end=6886","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2528109-284c11d4ed5b24f5f597b0752f5c0c46/thumbnail_6563000.jpg","/articles/6644228/New-Hampshire/Child-Support-Office-Reports-78-Million-Collected-Last-Year-Serves-About-28000-Families","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6644228-f2b3d973841a3e0367b1074d13b18bc2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137114&Signature=lfj95EF9kiVH4HpS6ocuIQm7hVIeVsrLzOhuU6USv9XV-Shezmu~jXrAZIjdAhlmv7G1zEut2ENYwaTskIVysuVUEOXDrxFcSHeX~g2XDTm6yRZM4d77Pw1J5Qz3lxrNoa~dMqb-YBj0F5-sfs1UtvLjnqFh9aqV2xT3YMivl-Q4ZEsQMQ1-nP38LQhBtBUfXpA0cusbUnqZ7gTegd9WWEzVbXjug9MAfStPX8p4KGsH2Qv5R-TSgKf4zK9TNbEkl9wZa0XtAGsOXykiEyJKP04sbCL4Kjv3TyLqMr7q4T3l3vR1S-TlfdZYVuHfZb3Udr0UdxePKzZSXv7tfMdQKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bureau of Child Support told the House Finance Committee on March 3 that it served roughly 28,000 families in the most recent year and collected about $78 million that was distributed to families.

\"Approximately 28,000 families are served annually. This last year, we collected 78,000,000,\" Karen Hebert said during the Division of Economic Stability briefing. Hebert said the collections are private funds returned to custodial parents and noted that part of collections is retained by the state to offset TANF expenditures when families receiving TANF benefit from child support collections.

Hebert told the committee the bureau recovered about $4.8 million for TANF maintenance‑of‑effort last year. The department also described that the bureau receives federal incentive funding tied to performance metrics; Nathan White said incentive funding typically amounts to around $2 million a year but that actual award levels depend on performance and the size of collections.

Why it matters: Child support collections are an important component of family income stabilization and reduce the demand for cash assistance programs. The bureau works with the court system to establish orders and with employers and other partners to enforce payments; staff also provide supportive services when a paying parent needs help finding employment.

Staffing and operations: Hebert said a majority of child‑support staff work in district offices as child support officers or case technicians who meet with clients and pursue collections and enforcement. The department noted that performance measures and the dollar value of court orders both influence collections, and that aggregate collection totals can vary year to year for that reason.

Ending: Committee members asked questions about staffing levels, trends in caseload and collections over the last decade, and how the bureau pursues incentive funding tied to performance.","DHHS officials told the finance committee the Bureau of Child Support served about 28,000 families last year, collected roughly $78 million for families and recovered $4.8 million for TANF; staff described incentive funding and performance measures tied to federal awards.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Field operations strained by vacancies and aging systems; DHHS seeks prioritized IT and call‑center investments

DHHS Tells Finance Panel TANF MOE and Federal-Block Risks Will Need Closer Monitoring

Lawmakers Hear Update on Child Care Subsidies, Providers and a Removed Workforce Grant

Child Support Office Reports $78 Million Collected Last Year, Serves About 28,000 Families