New Hampshire Families
Family structure and access to community support impact child development in New Hampshire
- 64,000 children live in single-parent families in New Hampshire.1 Six percent of households with children in New Hampshire speak a language other than English at home. Children living with cohabitating couples are included in this group, while children living with married parents and stepparents are not. Nationwide, the profile of unmarried parents has changed significantly. In 1968, 88 percent of single parents were moms living alone, and 12 percent were dads living alone. By 2017, approximately 35 percent of all unmarried parents were cohabiting with another adult.2
- Children growing up in single-parent families typically do not have the same economic opportunities as those growing up in two-parent families. In 2023, 21 percent of single-parent households in New Hampshire lived below the federal poverty line—a five percent increase from 2022.3
- Compared to children in two-parent households, children raised by single parents are more likely to face emotional and behavioral health challenges. Research has connected these challenges with factors unique to single-parent households, like parental breakups, witnessing conflict, and moving homes.4
Data Spotlight:
Fatherhood
Children with involved dads tend to do better socially, emotionally, and academically than kids with uninvolved fathers. Research shows that children with fathers who are involved in daily care, such as feeding, bathing, and playing together, grow up to be more confident.
Parental education also plays a part in child outcomes.
- Parents educated beyond high school invest more in family health care, reducing the likelihood of adverse medical conditions despite differences in family income and health insurance (Rutgers, 2018).
- Over a 15-year span from 2005 to 2021, there has been a 16 percent increase in the number of households with parents who have college degrees.
- Nearly 38 percent of Granite State families are headed by a parent who holds only a high school diploma or GED. Nearly four percent of household heads did not graduate from high school.
Kinship Care
A growing number of children in New Hampshire are being raised by grandparents or other relatives. This is largely the result of our state's behavioral health crisis, leaving parents unable to care for their children. Long-term separation from parents is also an adverse childhood experience.
Adverse Childhood Experiences
37.6% of children in New Hampshire have experienced one or more adverse childhood experiences.
- Children and youth who live in nurturing families and safe, supportive communities generally have stronger personal connections, higher educational achievement, and better mental and behavioral health (AECF Data Center).
- One in 10 children in New Hampshire lives with an adult with a mental health or substance use disorder. This can have a negative affect on the child's well-being.
- 9.3 percent of families report that it is hard to cover the basics, like food or housing, on the family's income, causing toxic stress for children.
Solving problems through policy change.
In 2023, New Futures helped secure $4 million per year in state funding for Family Resource Centers (FRCs). New Hampshire's FRCs strengthen families by offering concrete support in times of need, building social connections, offering classes in parenting and child development, and mitigating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Community
Children are more likely to thrive in neighborhoods with strong schools, support services, and community engagement.
- Over 20 percent of families in New Hampshire report that they do not believe they live in safe neighborhoods.
- Only 33 percent of New Hampshire neighborhoods include parks, sidewalks, recreation centers, and libraries. One in 10 Granite State children lives in a neighborhood with none of these amenities.
- 17% of kids answered that they saw someone get physically attacked, beaten, stabbed, or shot in their neighborhood (2021 YRBS).
