CLAREMONT, N.H. (WCAX) – Around 900 families in Claremont, New Hampshire, have responded to a survey that is intended to better understand the needs of families in the community.
“There’s a lot, a lot of concerns,” said Alexis Roldan, a new mom who has lived in Claremont for a couple of years. “A big thing that is going on in this area is bullying. That is a big concern to me.”
That’s the type of parental concern the TLC Family Resource Center is looking for. The organization partnered with New Hampshire Children’s Trust to administer the survey, which was sent to most families in the Claremont school district.
“I’m lucky — we don’t actually send her to daycare because we have family support, but I do know other people like my friends who do need that support,” Roldan said.
Matthieu Fortier, TLC’s Strengthening Families Program coordinator, is tabulating the results. “The point of this will be defined by what people are asking for,” he said.
Fortier says financial burdens were a reoccurring theme, but also more general issues, like how to raise teenagers and how to limit cellphone use. “Parents want to feel like they know what they need to be doing as parents, and they want to feel confident that what they are doing is healthy and safe and good for their kids,” he said.
The ultimate goal of the program is to mitigate abuse and neglect in households The community assessment — which also asked if people people felt safe and if they had enough time in the day–is a direct link between community stakeholders and those they help serve.
“Yeah, absolutely. I do feel like there is a lot of support in the community,” Roldan said.
Once the data from the survey is finalized, the results will be presented at an upcoming school board meeting.