Lame duck Executive Council approves state childcare website support contract

The Executive Council met for the first time since the midterm elections on Tuesday and approved a million-dollar childcare contract with no debate. 

The vote amends an existing contract between the Department of Health and Human Services and MTX, owner of software company Salesforce, for technological support and services for the New Hampshire Connections Information Systems. The payment for fulfillment of the contract increased from over $812,000 to over $1.9 million, and will extend the Salesforce contract with the state from June 2027 to June 2029. 

New Hampshire Connections is the state-run website that handles the core childcare functions of licensing, background checks, professional development tracking and other childcare information for the families and childcare providers. Through contracts with the state, Salesforce helps to upgrade the website, as well as provide technical support. 

Over the next two years, the company will improve the website’s user experience to meet federal accessibility and assistance standards and integrate components to feature New Hampshire’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Salesforce will also continue to provide maintenance and enhancements for the site. 

Had the contract failed to pass the Executive Council, DHHS Commissioner Lori Weaver wrote that lack of desk support would “leave community users without critical assistance” and could potentially lead to “compliance issues and service interruptions statewide.” 

The five-member body, responsible for confirming appointments and approving contracts as a check on the governor’s powers, will look a lot different next legislative term. Its makeup will become 5-0 in favor of Democrats, a result of the “blue tsunami” that hit New Hampshire’s state-level election positions last week. Until the end of the year, Republican councilors will continue to hold a 4-1 majority. 

Three of the council’s Republicans, John Stephen, Joe Kenney and Dave Wheeler, have rejected pricey childcare-related contracts over the past few months, including one for quality professional development. They have defended their decision in favor of instead using money to fund the childcare workforce grant, despite repeated answers from the federal government that it was not possible. 

In a video post to social media last week, Councilor Karen Liot Hill, a Democrat from Lebanon who will be the only current councilor to return, said she was “excited” to vote in favor of the federally funded childcare quality contract once the new councilors are sworn in.