Our Guiding Principles


The Children's Alliance of New Hampshire supports policies, programs, and practices that address the general health and well-being of children and youth from the prenatal period through the transition to adulthood and that:

1. focus first upon prevention-based approaches to child well-being;
   
2. benefit children and youth whose social or economic circumstances place them "at risk" for not achieving their full potential;
   
3. enable families to achieve economic self-sufficiency and provide an adequate safety net for those who have yet to achieve self-sufficiency;
   
4. foster a shared commitment and obligation among families, communities, government, and the private sector to assure the well being of all children and youth.
   
5. enable children and youth to achieve their full potential and to participate meaningfully in the determination of their own lives;
   
   
6. promote economic justice for children and families by relying on fair and equitable funding mechanisms;
7. support the fullest possible participation by children, youth, families, and communities in the design, implementation, and evaluation of social, educational, and health services and policy.
   
   

In choosing between involvement in equally compelling advocacy efforts, the Children's Alliance will devote its limited resources to those areas in which children have the least voice.