"Who takes the child by the hand, takes the mother by the heart" --DANISH PROVERB
 
Where else can we get two for one?  Taking time with children always has a big payoff.
 
Keeping children safe and families strong is the motto of the NH Children's Trust Fund.  We know that this year, families are more fragile than ever before, due to their perilous and rapid slide into poverty, a precursor to child abuse and neglect.  The data from our evaluations show that 92% of the families surveyed had a median annual income of between $20,000 and $30,000 -for a family of four!  We know that NH's median family income is just over $71,000, surely enough to take care of food, fuel, commuting and other household costs.  But is it? And are they really much better off?  Even though poorer families are impacted more, the middle class is struggling as well.
 
We also know that most Americans are stressed out by the economy, with negative health impacts and higher percentages of women (84%) than men (75%) reporting increased stress, which can cause illness and increased use of alcohol.  All these factors combine to create concerns for the well-being and safety of children and to produce increased risks for child abuse and neglect.  What is needed are more ways to take NH's children by the hand, and support the mothers, fathers and others, like grandparents, stepping in to raise the next generation. Check out this website for grandparents.
 
Charged by the NH Legislature with supporting programs that work to prevent child abuse and neglect, the NHCTF Trustees annually review requests for funding and decide the awards.  The Trustees read each proposal, require a rigorous schedule of reporting and participation in evaluating outcomes and training on continuous quality improvement.  Indeed we ask a lot for the maximum grant of $8,000. We wish we had more funds to support community organizations in the important work they do.  What we provide is a drop in the bucket of increasing needs, due in large part to a worsening economy.  Now more than ever, families need support.
 
This year's funding, with grants totaling over $160,000, goes to 35 agencies in every corner of NH, from Berlin to Keene to Nashua to the Seacoast to Claremont and the Upper Valley. 14 first year grants were made, with 21 continuing in their second year of funding.  Most of the funding has been committed to programs providing direct services, including family support programs in Berlin, Keene, Seacoast, several dads programs, early childhood support, home visiting, a shelter for homeless pregnant women, teen parenting, and training for expectant parents to develop care for infants and toddlers.  Some of these programs are school based; some are sponsored at family resource centers, at donated space in church centers, and child assault prevention activities in the seacoast and Nashua.
 
A few very worthwhile statewide programs received funding, including for preventing domestic violence (and sadly, child abuse and domestic violence share the same household), the network of child advocacy centers, the statewide minority health coalition, the NH Task Force on Women in Recovery. A regional collaboration of 4 agencies in Manchester received a grant to establish a family resource center there.
 
Contact one of these agencies to find out how you can help or contact us for suggestions. Thanks!

 

 

Karen H. Carpenter, MA, JD