KEENE, N. H. 3/10/06 -According to the current Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2005 Kids Count Data Book, the overall well-being of New Hampshire's children is ranked first in the nation. However 7,000 New Hampshire children live in homes where no adult worked in the past twelve months, and New Hampshire's children now fare worse than in previous studies in three areas: the percent of teens (ages 16-19) not attending school and not working; the percent of children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment; and the percent of children living in poverty.

Other studies show that for most "persistently unemployed parents," substance abuse, domestic violence, prior incarceration, and depression are four barriers to work and success. Abused and neglected children are 53 percent more likely to become juvenile delinquents and 38 percent more likely to become violent criminals as adults. On any given day there are 1,300 to 1,400 New Hampshire children in out-of-home placements (foster care, group homes, and other living situations).

On Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m., representatives from four agencies that advocate for Cheshire County's at-risk children will offer their perspectives in a panel titled "It's 2006: Do We Know Where Our Children Are?"

Panelists will be Marcia Sink, founder and CEO of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of N.H.; Marilyn Soper, CASA guardian ad litem supervisor for the Keene regional office; Patricia Grover, Keene District Office supervisor for the Division of Children, Youth and Families; Bill Albrecht, Cheshire County Attorney; Cathy Ruffle, assistant Cheshire County Attorney; Madeline Ullrich, administrative supervisor for Monadnock Family Services Community Supports for Families program; and Carolyn DeBell, Monadnock Family Services' Community Supports for Families program manager.

This panel, part of KSC's Sidore events series, is free and open to the public, in the Mabel Brown Room of the L.P. Young Student Center. For more information, contact Mary Mayshark-Stavely at 358-2232.

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