Focus Area: Children
VISION
We envision that children in the Monadnock Region live in safe, nurturing, healthy homes, and communities and Monadnock community members receive an education that enables them to achieve their fullest potential.
POPULATION-LEVEL GOALS
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Young children (0-5 yrs) are safe, healthy, and resilient. MUW measures the success of this goal by tracking the child maltreatment rate per 1,000 children at the State and County level.
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School-age children in the Monadnock Regions are safe, healthy, and resilient. MUW measures the success of this goal by tracking the percentage of families with children under age 18 living in poverty.
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Transition-age youth are safe healthy and resilient. MUW measures the success of this goal by tracking the statewide number of teens ages 16-19 not attending school and not working AND the number of persons ages 18-24 not attending school, not working, and having no degree beyond high school.
Why it matters:
Healthy children who live in a nurturing home, school, and community environment are more likely to achieve success in school and seek career opportunities after high school that contribute to economic growth.
Young children ages 0-5 years are safe, healthy, and resilient
Since 2016, Cheshire County has had either the third or fourth-highest child maltreatment rate in the State.
Rates of substantiated child maltreatment. Source AECF.org
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| State of NH | 3.6 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
| Cheshire County | 6.9 | 7.4 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 8.6 |
| Coos County | 8.6 | 10.3 | 14.8 | 12.9 | 12.9 |
| Carroll County | 4.8 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 3.6 | 5.7 |
| Sullivan County | 5.3 | 5.1 | 8.6 | 6.3 | 6.5 |
| Grafton County | 3.9 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
| Belknap County | 7.1 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 4.4 | 6.9 |
| Hillsborough County | 2.8 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.1 |
| Merrimack County | 2.6 | 2.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 5.9 |
| Strafford County | 5.0 | 6.7 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.9 |
| Rockingham County | 1.8 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
The map breaks down the child maltreatment rate per 1,000 for each county in 2020.
School-age children in the Monadnock Regions are safe, healthy, and resilient.
| Poverty among families with children under 18 yrs. | |||||||||
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| CHESHIRE COUNTY | 13.70% | 15.30% | 14% | 10.10% | 11.90% | 12.90% | 10.90% | 10.90% | 12% |
| NH | 10.90% | 12.60% | 11% | 8.50% | 10% | 10.1% | 8% | 8.40% | 9% |
Transition-age youth are safe healthy and resilient.
| Teens ages 16-19 not attending school and not working | |||||||||
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| NH | 5% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 5% | N/A | 5% |
| CHESHIRE COUNTY | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3% | N/A | 3% |
| USA | 8% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 6% | N/A | 7% |
| Persons age 18-24 not attending school, not working, and no degree beyond hs | |||||||||
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| USA | 16% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 13% | 12% | 12% | N/A | 13% |
| NH | 11% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | N/A | 7% |
| County data not available | |||||||||
Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation; Kids Count Data
Our Impact in 2022:
- In 2022, 1,905 children aged (0-5) and families, across 36 towns received services such as home visiting, parent education, and enrichment programs such as playgroups, art classes, cooking classes, and more through the Monadnock Alliance for Families.
- The Southwestern Community Services Dental Screening Program provided 72 children with dental screenings and preventative dental services the Head Start program.
- The Monadnock Region After School Collective provided safe, educational settings for 1,291 children and had an 88% reduction in behavior incidents.