Hard times threaten children and families in rural New Hampshire

"Making KIDS COUNT in Rural Northern
New England" describes the strengths and challenges of families and children

Link to Children's Alliance of NH President Ellen Shemitz's remarks at report release press conference

October 21, 2004

Rural life in northern New England is in transition, beset by broad economic changes that have decreased wages, increased economic disparity and threatened the quality of life for children and families. Making KIDS COUNT in Rural Northern New England (PDF file), a report of the Northern New England Kids Count Collaborative released by the Children’s Alliance of New Hampshire, in collaboration with the Family Resource Center @ Gorham, combines statistics with the voices of local parents to highlight the economic, educational, health and social challenges faced by rural kids and families.

According to 2000 Census figures, 9.5% of children under age 18 who live in rural New Hampshire live in poverty, compared to 6.9% of non-rural children in the state. Nearly a quarter of rural northern New England families earn less than $25,000 annually, reflecting a wage gap of almost $10,000 in rural versus non-rural average wages.

“Rural family life has been deeply affected by regional economic changes that are beyond the ability of any one family or community to resolve,” says Ellen Shemitz, President of the Children’s Alliance of New Hampshire. The report highlights threats to family economic security as a key challenge to rural children and families, noting the additional strain created by geographic isolation and regional consolidation.

Shemitz hopes the report will serve as a resource for informed legislative and administrative decision-making: “Policymakers should consider the economic, education, and health care needs of children and families in the North Country and rural communities across the state. Failure to address rural needs will have a negative ripple effect across the state.”

Making KIDS COUNT highlights the voices of rural parents:

“You don’t just know everybody, you know everybody and their family.” -- Crystal, a mother of one from rural New Hampshire

“There’s a groundedness here. You know where your food comes from, and you know who built your house.” -- Lisa, a mother of four from rural Vermont.

“If you could make a living here, this would be like heaven on Earth.” -- Janice, a mother of three in rural Maine.

The report was supported by a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and local funding from Providian Financial, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Northeast Delta Dental.