CONCORD, N.H. -– A new report ranks New Hampshire number one in overall child well-being, but advocates for kids and families say it's no time to be complacent as there's room for improvement.

The new Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book showed while the state ranks second in the nation for health and fourth for education, its ranking for economic well-being dropped from third to 10th. Rebecca Woitkowski, early childhood policy coordinator with the nonprofit New Futures, said many residents hit hardest by economic factors live in rural areas, which lack access to jobs and community services.

"Primarily this is a difference between rural and urban areas in our state,” Woitkowski said. “Family support services, like home visiting and other services offered at family resource centers, are proven to mitigate adverse childhood experiences and help children's brains develop on track and set up kids for success later in life."

She said the legislature has laid some groundwork to improve access to services around the state, but more could be done to address these disparities. The report said about 26,000 New Hampshire children live in poverty.

New Hampshire also has one of the highest rates of opioid abuse in the country, and Woikowski said tackling that crisis is crucial to ensuring children's health and well-being.

"New Hampshire has some particular challenges with our child protection, mental health and substance-use crises that have affected our state over the last five years, in that this has really changed the call to action,” she said.

The report said about 1-in-4 children in the state has parents who lack secure employment, and 1-in-5 lives in a household that has to spend too much of its income on housing.

Only half of New Hampshire's three- and four-year-olds who are eligible for preschool are enrolled, and the state doesn't fund preschool for all. The Casey Foundation's Leslie Boissiere said states need to look critically at their budget priorities to ensure equal access to these types of services for children of all backgrounds.

"Are we fully funding public education, and are we doing it in a way that's equitable across all communities and neighborhoods?” Boissiere asked. “Have we expanded Medicaid? Are states making health care and health insurance available to all families?"

The report suggested one way to ensure these needs are being met is to increase efforts to count everyone in the 2020 census, including kids under age five and people living in hard-to-reach communities.

Everybody loves to get something free and right now, kids aged 12-17 can get a fishing and hunting license at no cost from the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The license is good for one year and normally sells for $15.

Bobby Jones, outdoor connection coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, said the free licenses are funded by donations to the Nevada Youth License Fund.

"This is actually the third year that the program's been active," Jones explained. "We keep it open as much as possible. We're just limited by the amount of donations that we have. Right now, we have almost 2,000 available and they go fast."

Youth can get a free license on the Nevada Department of Wildlife website or wherever the licenses are sold. Children under age 12 do not need a fishing license. The state said almost two-thirds of the kids who have taken advantage of the program in the past have never had a hunting or fishing license before.

Jones emphasized the program is designed to tempt kids to leave the digital world behind for a short time and enjoy some time outdoors. It could lead them to even consider a nature-based career like wildlife biology, forest management or outdoor education.

"Essentially what we're up against is a lot of kids are engaged in their phones and social media, TV," Jones pointed out. "They're constantly bombarded with things. We're trying to make it a little bit easier for them to enjoy the outdoors."

Some of the most popular fishing spots include Lahontan in the Fallon area, Wild Horse and South Fork in Eastern Nevada, and Lake Mead down south.


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The University of Nebraska is addressing a shortage of lawyers who represent the state's most vulnerable children, especially in rural areas.

The attorneys are being equipped to work with kids who have suffered through physical, emotional, or financial trauma - and are often living in poverty.

Of Nebraska's 5,500 licensed attorneys, only 7% of them practice in rural areas.

Michelle Paxton, director of the Nebraska Children's Justice and Legal Advocacy Center, said two thirds of child neglect and abuse cases originate outside the Lincoln and Omaha metro areas, in what she calls "rural legal deserts."

"We have twelve counties in Nebraska with zero attorneys living in those counties," said Paxton. "We have 22 with less than three."

Paxton said that there are too few qualified rural child justice attorneys, which means lawyers may drive hundreds of miles for juvenile cases, creating delays and court backlogs.

The University of Nebraska program will add lawyers trained to handle issues unique to children in low-income families.

Attorneys who work on juvenile court cases are getting the tailored knowledge they need, but Paxton added that the program is also creating an opportunity for those attorneys to network and get support from other lawyers in the field - who are often isolated.

"And so they don't often have another attorney doing this type of work that they can rely on for support and mentorship," said Paxton, "and our program provides that support and mentorship so that they are not only willing to continue working in juvenile court, increase their hours in juvenile court and increase their commitment. "

The advocacy center will also develop a case-tracking tool, enabling people to find an attorney online.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.



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Statistics show one in five children in Texas struggles with hunger.

Approximately 10,000 students a day are getting a nutritious meal through the Summer Food Service Program offered by the Houston Food Bank. The meals are distributed across the food bank's 18-county region.

Jourdan Stansberry, senior manager of education programs for Houston Food Bank, said they partner with summer camps, churches and other nonprofit organizations to serve the students. She added anyone who is not near a meal site can take advantage of their non-congregate option.

"Sites that are considered rural by the Texas Department of Agriculture," Stansberry explained. "It's a grab-and-go model where families can pick up the meals, It's like a five-day bundle of frozen meals, breakfast and snacks, so 10 meals all together. They're able to pick it up and take it home."

Locations of the meal sites in the Houston area and across Texas are available at the Department of Agriculture's Summer Meal Site Map. The meals are available to anyone 18 years old or younger or students with a disability, up to 21 years old.

The meals are distributed at more than 250 sites around the Houston area. Students do not have to register to take advantage of the meals. Stansbury emphasized it is a great way to ensure kids have access to fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer. She added the menus consist of more than just a sandwich and chips.

"One thing that I know has been pretty popular is our orange chicken with rice, and we also have broccoli, vegetable-medley side that goes along with that. We saw also chicken tikka masala," Stansbury outlined. "We try to expose them to different meals, not only healthwise but also culturally."

The Houston Food Bank expects to distribute around 800,000 meals this summer. The meal program runs through Aug. 8.


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