The New Hampshire Legislature, drafting and approving a budget with the intention of having the State live within its means, has attempted to distribute the pain among New Hampshire’s needy, disabled and disenfranchised.  At-risk youth were by no means spared in the passage of the State’s spending plan for the next biennium.

The commitment of the State to provide services for “CHINS” youth was sharply curtailed.  These youth are known as “Status Offenders” as they’ve committed violations that are specific to their juvenile “status,” namely being habitually truant from school, running away excessively or repeatedly disobeying the “lawful” commands of their parent(s). 

While the budget as passed by the New Hampshire House of Representatives would have curtailed all funding for CHINS by simply eliminating the enabling legislation, the Senate passed a narrower definition of CHINS, specific to youth with pronounced mental health issues paired with dangerous behavior, and provided a modicum of funding for services.

Going forward, however, these are the youth who will no longer receive services from the State of New Hampshire:

*Youth that run the streets at all hours, in violation of their parents’ wishes, while not engaging in unlawful behavior. The rewrite of the CHINS statute provides a virtual bridge from what had already been the short leap between “status offender” to criminal offender.  The legislature was cautioned by the Department of Human Services that their action would result in an 18-20% rise in delinquency petitions. The impact on public safety could be considerable as it will only be after these youth engage in criminal activity that they become eligible for services

*Youth that run away, and only after being placed in a safe setting via the CHINS statute, reveal that they have run from situations where they’ve been physically and/or sexually abused.  While it’s hard to quantify the frequency of this scenario, it’s happened often enough during my 25 years at Nashua Children’s Home, that all compassionate people should be concerned about young people facing the double bind of choosing between remaining on the streets or returning to an abusive situation.

*Habitually truant youth will now become the responsibility of local school districts.  Despite the legislature’s voiced disdain for “downshifting” of costs to cities and towns, there is really no other option remaining.

Here at Nashua Children’s Home, we have always been challenged in our efforts on behalf of at-risk children and youth.  The challenge has surely increased as we remain mired in a turbulent economy.  As always, the charitable assistance of all of you remains vital to the ongoing pursuit of our century-long mission.