Improving Childhood Well-Being

Drawing on previous childhood well-being accountability reports, this report examines the safety, health, and education of New Hampshire children. To accurately determine the well-being of children in each of these three domains requires a two-step analysis. First, the report assesses the extent to which funding impacts well-being outcomes for New Hampshire children. Second, the report documents comparisons between New Hampshire spending and the spending of a comparable state and county. Specifically, spending on children in New Hampshire is compared to Maine, a state with similar geographic and demographic characteristics, and Santa Clara County in California, a county with established accountability tools. Through this analysis of New Hampshire and its relative spending as well as how the state compares to other jurisdictions, this report aims to provide a framework for state legislators to consider current and future investments in children.