The University System of New Hampshire has selected the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central and Northern New Hampshire to take over the early learning centers at Keene State College and Plymouth State University, marking a shift away from direct university management of these longtime campus resources.
The decision comes as the university system faces financial pressures from state budget cuts, though how much money the outsourcing will save remains unclear. Christopher Emond, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central and Northern New Hampshire, said the organization is “limiting the financial liability” for the university system and assuming the risk.
“We are currently working with two foundations to help mitigate this risk as we will not know the full financial picture until we open and operate for a period of time in the fall of 2026,” Emond said. “The financial picture is solely dependent on staffing costs and enrollment.”
The Concord-based Boys & Girls Clubs organization operates more than two dozen early learning centers and after-school programs across New Hampshire, including locations in the Upper Valley region that serves Dartmouth students and faculty. The organization already runs the Mary Stuart Gile Early Learning Center at N.H. Technical Institute in Concord, which provides hands-on training for education students.
At Keene State, the Child Development Center has served as a cornerstone of the college’s Early Childhood Education program for decades. The center provides care and early education to about 50 local children while offering learning opportunities for college students in early childhood education, music, health science, psychology and nursing.
Sarah Kossayda, marketing director at Keene State, told reporters that current CDC staff will keep their jobs through the contract period ending June 19, with hopes they will be rehired under the new management.
The transition addresses a critical need in New Hampshire’s child care shortage. A February 2025 report from the N.H. Fiscal Policy Institute estimated the state lacks more than 9,000 child care slots to meet existing demand.
Originally, the university system sought a single organization to manage child development centers at three campuses: UNH, Keene State and Plymouth State. However, the University of New Hampshire announced in December it will continue managing its own Child Study and Development Center, implementing tuition increases and possible staff reductions to ensure sustainability.
Under the new arrangement, Keene State’s center will continue serving children from 4 months through 4 years and 11 months, including children of college employees, students and surrounding community families. Plymouth State’s Center for Young Children and Families will serve children from 13 months through 5 years.
Both centers will maintain their role as training sites where students work alongside teaching mentors and faculty, preserving the educational component that has made these programs valuable for workforce development in early childhood education.
The transition reflects broader challenges facing university-operated services across New Hampshire’s public higher education system as institutions seek to reduce costs while maintaining essential community resources.
