Peterborough, NH – Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) hosted a roundtable discussion with business leaders, health professionals, child care providers, and local stakeholders from the greater Peterborough area to discuss her Working Families Agenda and how it supports their work and needs. Earlier this month, Congresswoman Kuster formally released her Working Families Agenda, a plan for Congress to prioritize legislative initiatives that help support working families in New Hampshire and across the country.

“Since taking office, one of my biggest priorities has been to advocate for middle class families,” said Congresswoman Kuster, “I am always thankful for the opportunity to sit down with leaders from across the community to discuss my priorities in Congress and hear how I can best help Granite State working families get ahead. Over the past few years, the economy has been steadily improving, but there is still work to be done to ensure that families across New Hampshire and the country are not overly burdened by child care costs, underemployment, or lack of access to family leave. Today, I was able to sit down with local business leaders, child care providers, and health professionals who are champions of these issues in the Monadnock region, and I will bring our conversation with me as I return to Congress to continue fighting for working families in the Granite State and beyond.”

Kuster’s new Working Families Agenda includes initiatives to address pay equity, family leave time, and access to affordable child care and health care, among other issues. Participants in today’s roundtable discussion included leadership from local child care centers, Monadnock Community Hospital, Monadnock Family Services, and the River Center, among others.

Kuster has long worked to increase accessibility to vital services like child care, health care, and affordable education that can otherwise impose a tremendous burden on working families in today’s climate. Kuster has cosponsored a number of bills to reduce the strain on working families, including the Healthy Families Act, which would require employers to provide one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, and the CARE Act, which allows more families to benefit fully from a valuable child tax credit and afford child and dependent care. During today’s roundtable discussion, Kuster discussed new legislative initiatives she’ll be fighting for as part of her Working Families Agenda. Kuster has also held numerous roundtable discussions and other events throughout the district to hear from working New Hampshire families about what Congress can do to better support them, which has additionally helped shape her Agenda.

###