Infant care in New Hampshire
385 of New Hampshire’s 717 licensed child care programs take infants. In the 60 days before Nov 1, 2026, just 87 of them reported an open infant spot to the state. Here’s what that means for your search, and what infant care costs.
Infant care by county
| County | Take infants | Opening reported | Typical a month | Per 1,000 children under 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belknap | 20 | 1 | $1,441(6) | 7.8 |
| Carroll | 13 | 3 | — | 7.9 |
| Cheshire | 23 | 7 | $1,398(10) | 6.7 |
| Coos | 5 | 1 | — | 4.2 |
| Grafton | 24 | 2 | $1,732(10) | 7.0 |
| Hillsborough | 102 | 31 | $1,491(45) | 4.8 |
| Merrimack | 49 | 13 | $1,538(25) | 7.1 |
| Rockingham | 90 | 19 | $1,684(46) | 6.2 |
| Strafford | 41 | 10 | $1,495(15) | 7.0 |
| Sullivan | 18 | 0 | $1,149(4) | 9.4 |
“Reported an opening” counts programs that told the state about an open infant spot in the last 60 days. Prices are the middle value of the listed prices (how many in brackets), shown only when at least 3 programs list one. “Per 1,000 children under 5” is how many programs take infants for every 1,000 children under 5 living in the county (Census estimate for 2020–2024). It’s a rough measure: programs vary in size, and the state doesn’t publish how many infant spots each one has.
Towns with the most infant programs
- Manchester22 take infants · 7 reported an opening · about $1,491/month
- Nashua20 take infants · 8 reported an opening · about $1,461/month
- Londonderry16 take infants · 2 reported an opening · about $1,538/month
- Concord15 take infants · 4 reported an opening · about $1,582/month
- Merrimack14 take infants · 6 reported an opening · about $1,668/month
- Dover12 take infants · 3 reported an opening · about $1,408/month
- Keene11 take infants · 2 reported an opening · about $1,365/month
- Hudson10 take infants · 1 reported an opening · about $975/month
- Salem10 take infants · 1 reported an opening · about $1,733/month
- Hooksett9 take infants · 5 reported an opening · about $1,538/month
- Rochester9 take infants · 1 reported an opening · about $1,515/month
- Conway8 take infants · 2 reported an opening
- Derry7 take infants · 3 reported an opening · about $1,716/month
- Bedford6 take infants · 3 reported an opening · about $1,679/month
- Claremont6 take infants
Why infant spots are hard to find
Babies need the most hands-on care, so state rules require more teachers per child in infant rooms than for any other age. That makes infant rooms small and expensive to run, and many programs don’t offer them at all. Ask each program who gets priority when a spot opens, and keep in touch.
How to get on the right waitlists
- Start early. If you can, join lists during pregnancy.
- Contact several programs. Ask whether they have space or a waitlist for infants, how it works, whether there’s a fee to join, and roughly how long families are waiting right now.
- Tour your top choices, and take notes while it’s fresh.
- Check in every few weeks. A short, friendly note keeps you active on the list.
- When you choose, tell the others, so the next family moves up.
Questions
How many daycares in New Hampshire take infants?
385 of New Hampshire’s 717 licensed child care programs are licensed to care for infants (6 weeks through 12 months), as of Nov 1, 2026.
How much does infant daycare cost in New Hampshire?
Among the 165 programs that show a weekly or monthly infant price on the state’s search, the typical (middle) price is about $1,517 a month. Home-based programs typically charge less (about $1,105 a month) than centers (about $1,560).
How long are infant daycare waitlists in New Hampshire?
The state doesn’t publish waitlist lengths, and they change often. What it does show: in the 60 days before Nov 1, 2026, 87 of the 385 programs that take infants reported an open infant spot. Nationally, in a Care.com survey of US parents (November 2024), 55% of those who had been on a daycare waitlist waited four months or more.
When should I get on an infant daycare waitlist?
As early as you can, ideally during pregnancy. Call several programs, ask how their waitlist works and whether there’s a fee, and check in every few weeks.
Need help paying? See the NH Child Care Scholarship income limits.
From NH Child Care Search (New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services), retrieved Nov 1, 2026. Programs supply and maintain some of this information themselves, and the state does not verify it. Always confirm details with the program.