When it comes to being a kid, it doesn't get better than living in New Hampshire. That's according to an annual study released yesterday on the health and well-being of children and teenagers from birth to age 19, which ranked New Hampshire first in the nation for the fourth year in a row. Some, though, say the ranking overlooks a sharp increase in the number of Granite State children living in poverty. While the state still ranked lowest in terms of poverty rates among children nationwide, one in 10 children in New Hampshire live below the poverty line. For a family of four, that's $19,000 a year. "We're really alarmed by this year's release," said Ellen Shemitz, president of the Children's Alliance of New Hampshire, a nonprofit advocacy organization located in Concord. "Under the veneer of hanging onto our No. 1 standing is the fact that child poverty has increased in New Hampshire." This is the 17th year of the study conducted by the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation, which aims to help disadvantaged families and children. To gauge child welfare in the states, the foundation looks at 10 indicators, including child and teen deaths, child poverty and teen pregnancy, which can be measured based on the annual U.S. Census data. The poverty rate increased nationwide from 17 percent in 2000 to 18 percent this year, meaning one in five American children live in poverty, according to the study. "We made an awful lot of progress in the 1990s, going from 23 percent to 16 percent and now we've lost it. We've lost the momentum," said William O'Hare of the Casey Foundation. New Hampshire's child poverty rate of 10 percent is up from 6 percent in 2000. Shemitz said she hoped the study would lead to ways the state could help families lift themselves out of poverty, including raising the minimum wage, which is currently $5.15 an hour, and making sure children are educated so that the cycle of poverty doesn't repeat itself. "You can work full time and still find yourself in poverty," she said. The good news is that teen birth rates, teen and child death rates and high school drop-out rates all declined. New Hampshire ranked first in having the lowest rate of teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 who are either not working or in school. It was also lowest in terms of infant mortality and child deaths. Overall, New England fared well in the study. Vermont ranked second, Connecticut third, Massachusetts 10th and Maine 11th. Rhode Island ranked 31st. John Stephen, New Hampshire's Health and Human Services commissioner, said he was pleased with the results, though he said the state and its communities need to work together to continue to improve life for children. "So many times we talk about parents not doing enough, but on a national level, parents in this state are doing a lot to help bring their children up in a healthy environment," Stephen said yesterday. "I think there are things we need to look at. We need to continue to do everything we can as a community to help children reach their potential." Some saw another shortcoming in the study's overlooking substance abuse. "New Hampshire does rank higher in the substance abuse category than most other states," said Tim Lena, student assistance coordinator at Timberlane Regional High School, which includes Atkinson, Danville, Plaistow and Sandown. "That certainly is a quality-of-life issue." O'Hare said data on substance abuse recently became available nationwide. The Casey Foundation plans to factor that data into next year's study. Meanwhile, parents said they thought New Hampshire was a great place for kids, but for different reasons than those used by the Casey Foundation. Liz Kosta, who moved to Plaistow from Haverhill, Mass., with her husband and two young daughters two and a half years ago, touted schools and the health care options. "I think Plaistow is great because you still have the benefit of going into Boston for health care if you need it, and you also have Dartmouth-Hitchcock (Medical Center), depending on what the preference is," she said. Linda Siemering, who has lived in Atkinson with her husband for 16 years and has children ages 7, 10 and 13, cited similar reasons. "They've grown up with the friends they started off being friends with. ...We're happy with the school system, the kids have access to (things) in both (Massachusetts and New Hampshire)," Siemering said. "The kids have been very happy."
When it comes to being a kid, it doesn't get better than living in New Hampshire.
That's according to an annual study released yesterday on the health and well-being of children and teenagers from birth to age 19, which ranked New Hampshire first in the nation for the fourth year in a row.
Some, though, say the ranking overlooks a sharp increase in the number of Granite State children living in poverty.
While the state still ranked lowest in terms of poverty rates among children nationwide, one in 10 children in New Hampshire live below the poverty line. For a family of four, that's $19,000 a year.
"We're really alarmed by this year's release," said Ellen Shemitz, president of the Children's Alliance of New Hampshire, a nonprofit advocacy organization located in Concord. "Under the veneer of hanging onto our No. 1 standing is the fact that child poverty has increased in New Hampshire."
This is the 17th year of the study conducted by the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation, which aims to help disadvantaged families and children.
To gauge child welfare in the states, the foundation looks at 10 indicators, including child and teen deaths, child poverty and teen pregnancy, which can be measured based on the annual U.S. Census data.
The poverty rate increased nationwide from 17 percent in 2000 to 18 percent this year, meaning one in five American children live in poverty, according to the study.
"We made an awful lot of progress in the 1990s, going from 23 percent to 16 percent and now we've lost it. We've lost the momentum," said William O'Hare of the Casey Foundation.
New Hampshire's child poverty rate of 10 percent is up from 6 percent in 2000.
Shemitz said she hoped the study would lead to ways the state could help families lift themselves out of poverty, including raising the minimum wage, which is currently $5.15 an hour, and making sure children are educated so that the cycle of poverty doesn't repeat itself.
"You can work full time and still find yourself in poverty," she said.
The good news is that teen birth rates, teen and child death rates and high school drop-out rates all declined. New Hampshire ranked first in having the lowest rate of teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 who are either not working or in school. It was also lowest in terms of infant mortality and child deaths.
Overall, New England fared well in the study. Vermont ranked second, Connecticut third, Massachusetts 10th and Maine 11th. Rhode Island ranked 31st.
John Stephen, New Hampshire's Health and Human Services commissioner, said he was pleased with the results, though he said the state and its communities need to work together to continue to improve life for children.
"So many times we talk about parents not doing enough, but on a national level, parents in this state are doing a lot to help bring their children up in a healthy environment," Stephen said yesterday. "I think there are things we need to look at. We need to continue to do everything we can as a community to help children reach their potential."
Some saw another shortcoming in the study's overlooking substance abuse.
"New Hampshire does rank higher in the substance abuse category than most other states," said Tim Lena, student assistance coordinator at Timberlane Regional High School, which includes Atkinson, Danville, Plaistow and Sandown. "That certainly is a quality-of-life issue."
O'Hare said data on substance abuse recently became available nationwide. The Casey Foundation plans to factor that data into next year's study.
Meanwhile, parents said they thought New Hampshire was a great place for kids, but for different reasons than those used by the Casey Foundation.
Liz Kosta, who moved to Plaistow from Haverhill, Mass., with her husband and two young daughters two and a half years ago, touted schools and the health care options.
"I think Plaistow is great because you still have the benefit of going into Boston for health care if you need it, and you also have Dartmouth-Hitchcock (Medical Center), depending on what the preference is," she said.
Linda Siemering, who has lived in Atkinson with her husband for 16 years and has children ages 7, 10 and 13, cited similar reasons.
"They've grown up with the friends they started off being friends with. ...We're happy with the school system, the kids have access to (things) in both (Massachusetts and New Hampshire)," Siemering said. "The kids have been very happy."
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 
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