Childhood poverty a problem in NH?

Last week NH Kids Count, a nonprofit child advocacy organization, released a report on childhood well-being in the Granite State.  In their press release, the organization argued that childhood poverty is a problem in New Hampshire, with significant variation by county.

According to the report, 11.1% of New Hampshire's children live in poverty.  That rate is highest in Coos County, which has a 21.7% child poverty rate.  Rockingham County, in comparison, only has a 6.8% child poverty rate.

NH Kids Count recommends investing more in social service programs and increasing the minimum wage to decrease childhood poverty. 

However, New Hampshire's child poverty rate is still lower than the national average of roughly 22%. 

So far legislators drafting the next state budget see road maintenance and tax cuts as higher priorities than social services.

In 2015 legislators also defeated several proposals to raise the minimum wage, arguing that it would lead to fewer jobs.