Cyber-Bullying, Obesity, Health Care: Coalition Lists Top Concerns for NH Kids
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November 12, 2009
CONCORD, N.H. - Reducing childhood obesity, stopping cyber-bullying and expanding access to health care for kids are some of the top concerns for the New Hampshire Child Advocacy Network (NH CAN). The coalition of about 100 nonprofits, foundations and advisors met in Concord recently to compile a list of what they see as the most pressing issues facing New Hampshire children...and ways to address them in the coming year.
Iris Estabrook, outreach and policy director for NH CAN and The Children's Alliance of NH, says underlying many of the issues is that New Hampshire, like most states, is facing many budget cuts to programs and services for families. One of them is the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps families in need with funds, child care referrals and training, she says.
"We have a wait list for child care assistance for working families who are eligible - we don't have sufficient funding for all of them. That's never happened in New Hampshire before."
Estabrook says a new issue for kids nationally, and here in the Granite State, is "cyber-bullying," when children are harassed and targeted by other kids on social networking sites, on cell phones with text messages, and through e-mails.
"A coalition of research folks from UNH, advocates in the field and parents have been working on this together behind the scenes for quite a few months now."
Estabrook says the next step for the coalition will be to track all of the cuts made to services and programs in the state, to work with legislators and communities to guard against further cuts and to seek out alternative funding sources. The full list of priorities and the plan of action for NH CAN will be released in January.