(Washington, DC) —  The non-partisan Every Child Matters Education Fund today released its newest public opinion poll on children’s issues from those who participated in the January 8 presidential primary in New Hampshire. Voters were asked, “In making your voting decision, how important were issues of child well-being such as pre-kindergarten education, child abuse prevention and child health care?” 77% of Democrats rated these issues as either very or somewhat important. 53% of Republicans rated these issues as either very or somewhat important.
 
Support
 
Voters were asked, “In making your voting decision, how important were issues of child well-being such as pre-kindergarten education, child abuse prevention and child health care?”   77% of Democrats rated these issues as either very or somewhat important.  53% of Republicans rated these issues as either very or somewhat important.
 
Personal Importance
 
Provide every child in New Hampshire and the United States with health insurance and access to high-quality medical care – Democrats 96% Favor, Republicans 60% Favor.

Reduce child abuse and neglect by helping new parents at the hospital or in their homes on a voluntary basis with information about the local resources available to help families raise healthy, successful children – Democrats 93% Favor, Republicans 60%

Favor Expand after-school programs to give more students a safe place to learn and play when school’s out – Democrats 89% Favor, Republicans 71% Favor
 
Provide greater funding to states like New Hampshire so that all parents who want their three and four year-old children to attend a high-quality pre-kindergarten program can do so.  Parents would have the flexibility to choose which program to send their child to – Democrats 72% Favor, Republicans 45% Favor
 
Attention
 
Asked whether they gave enough attention to issues of improving the child well-being in New Hampshire and nationwide: 73% of Democrats said the national media did not pay enough attention, 66% said the local media did not pay enough attention and 26% said the Democratic candidates for President did not pay enough attention.
   
56% of Republicans said the national media did not pay enough attention to these issues, 49% said the local media did not pay enough attention, and 44% said the Republican candidates for President did not pay enough attention.
 
Moving Forward
 
In the fall campaign, New Hampshire voters (84% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans) said that the candidates for President should talk either a great deal or a fair amount about where they stand on how to solve problems facing children and families.
 
The poll was conducted between January 12 and January 15 by a statewide telephone survey.  800 registered voters were selected at random, representing a cross-section of the public who voted in the 2008 presidential primary.  443 Democrats and 357 Republicans were interviewed.  The survey has a margin of error of ± 4.9 percent for the
Democratic and Republican interviews. Data is also available about an ECMEF poll conducted in New Hampshire between January 28 and February 2, 2004.
 
Said Every Child Matter Education Fund President and Founder Michael R. Petit, “The public cares deeply about the needs of children—their own and those in the community at-large.  It is not lost on them that the presidential candidates have a profound role in whether this country’s children will be better off in the future or worse off—and the American public wants to hear this discussion.   Children need to be a political priority in the presidential election; New Hampshire was a great start.”
 
The Every Child Matters Education Fund (ECMEF) is a 501(c)(3) organization focused on making the needs of children and youth a national political priority and promoting the adoption of smart policies for children, youth, and families—including stopping child abuse, helping working families with child care, expanding pre-school education and
after-school programs, and ensuring that children receive good health care. Throughout 2007 ECMEF worked with New Hampshire families and children’s groups to raise the visibility of children’s issues.


» Poll Results