While New Hampshire enjoys high rankings overall in key areas of child well-being, the state’s rural and geographically remote areas experience high rates of child poverty and vulnerability, which creates barriers to access for some services.
Now, researchers at UNH have been awarded a $3.8 million preschool development grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which will provide an opportunity to better understand the state’s early childhood system and create a plan to build a system that will better address the needs of vulnerable children and improve outcomes for children, families, schools and communities throughout New Hampshire.
Assistant professor of human development and family studies Kimberly Nesbitt and associate professor of education Eun Kyeong Cho are lead investigators on the grant.
“This grant is a true collaboration between UNH, the NH Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, the governor’s early childhood council, and New Hampshire’s early childhood advocates and practitioners,” says Nesbitt. “Together we are working to create a collective vision for quality early childhood care and education to ensure that all children and families of New Hampshire are healthy, learning and thriving.”
The 12-month project’s goals include a long-term plan to create a comprehensive, sustainable multitiered system that will provide targeted services across all early childhood programs in New Hampshire.
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Written By:
Callie Carr | UNH College of Health and Human Services | callie.carr@unh.edu | 603-862-0970
